He obtained his PhD in 2021, with a dissertation titled Motivational Underpinnings of Narcissism. He is interested in self-views: how they develop, how they manifest, and how they become reinforced through interpersonal experiences. He is particularly interested in narcissism and investigates why and how narcissists pursue social status. Stathis was a postdoc with Sander Thomaes at Utrecht University and is now an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University.