Zafeiro Aspridou serves as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Food Science and Technology, University of the Peloponnese. She holds a BSc in Agriculture (Food Science and Technology), an MSc (2012), and a PhD (2019) from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Since 2019, she has conducted postdoctoral research at the Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Hygiene (AUTH). She has participated as a Researcher in three EU-funded and five nationally funded research projects and has also served as Principal Investigator of a research project funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.). Her research has resulted in 19 peer-reviewed journal articles, two book chapters, and 55 conference proceedings, including an invited talk. Her work has received 484 citations (h-index: 12). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2193-987X

Her research interests focus on the safety, quality, and technology of foods of animal origin, integrating quantitative and risk-based approaches with modern digital tools to support evidence-based decision making in food systems. They include the study of growth, survival, and inactivation of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, as well as the impact of processing technologies and storage conditions on the safety and quality of foods of animal origin. Special emphasis is placed on single-cell microbiology, phenotypic heterogeneity, and cellular death, the use of advanced microscopy techniques, and the development of mathematical and stochastic models for realistic microbial risk assessment. Her work also includes the incorporation of lactic acid bacteria and probiotic cultures aimed at improving the quality and safety of foods of animal origin.