Dr Velliou's research interests fall within the engineering and validation of novel biomaterial based, bioinspired platforms for in vitro studies of biological systems and diseases. She is working on developing advanced 3D models of (i) different types of cancer, i.e., pancreatic, ovarian (ii) healthy tissues, i.e., skin (iii) bacterial communities to study bacterial communication and bacterial-host interactions.

In recent years, driven by the persistently low survival rate of the disease, Dr Velliou has worked extensively on remodelling pancreatic cancer in vitro. More specifically, she is developing 3D models that can control various properties of the tumour microenvironment, to enable physiologically relevant recapitulation of features such as tissue stiffness and porosity, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, diffusion of oxygen, nutrients and metabolites as well as distribution of the vascularisation. Application of conventional and novel treatment approaches in such 3D models enables a correlation of treatment response to specific features of the tumour microenvironment. Further work of Dr Velliou on cancer tissue engineering involves the development of ovarian cancer 3D models with controllable ECM properties. Dr Velliou is also working on skin remodelling and more specifically on engineering a low cost tool for screening of skin care products.

Dr Velliou's microbiology work involves the design of biochemically, structurally and rheologically complex 3D multi-phase structures for studying the formulation and communication of bacterial communities, i.e., biofilms, of pathogens and natural microflora. Furthermore, she is looking at the response and potential stress adaptation of such communities to novel (non thermal) microbial inactivation approaches such as Plasma, Ultrasounds as well as natural antimicrobial compounds.