Members

The health journalist Fotini Georgiou studied veterinary medicine in Italy and at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
She has been working at the tv station ANTENNA for 25 years. She started from the radio station of ANT1 97, 1 with journalistic production in radio shows.
The next step was health editor in radio news and at the same time she worked in the preparation and publication of news bulletins. She was assigned to make the afternoon magazine and she continued with a radio medical show while the transition to ANT1 television took place in 2006. Her first occupation on the television, was medical reporting in news broadcast.
She was given the opportunity to expand her favorite medical reportage 9 years ago, with the television show “YGEIA PANO APO OLA” (HEALTH ABOVE ALL). She is responsible for the reportage, the editorial and the presentation of the show. Her goal in the 9 years of the show existence is the understandable, valid and reliable information with absolute respect to the viewer. During the last year she also maintainw a health webssite “fotinigeorgiou.gr” where leading scientists write articles.

Dimitra Efthimiadou is a Greek experienced journalist with superior knowledge of health sector, health policy and pharma industry. Being a Member of the Athens Daily Newspaper Editors Association since 1998, she has an extensive experience of more than 20 years working for key print and online media and TV.
Currently, she is the General Manager of healthreport.gr -top tier health portal- as well as the Health Editor at ethnos.gr.
She was born in Germany and grew up in Duesseldorf and Athens. She studied European Culture attending EAP University and she majored in journalism at the Journalism Workshop.
Apart from being a health editor, she provides media trainings and crisis trainings for executives in health sector and politicians. Moreover, she executes personal and professional development programs to leaders in order to meet their business goals turning them into communication objectives. Dimitra has an accumulated experience in creating, improving and developing websites specialized in the field of Health. She regularly coordinates scientific medical conferences and other events to raise awareness and support prevention initiatives on medical issues.
She speaks Greek, English, German and French.

Christina Karapanou is a Psychologist – Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapist.
She studied Psychology at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest and went on to Master’s Degree in Organizational Psychology at Webster University in Vienna. She obtained a “Psychotherapy License”, completing the 3-year program of specialization – certification of the Center for Psychotherapy and Counseling, in “Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy”.
She obtained Behavioral Coaching Master Coach certification from the Behavioral Coaching Institute in Canada and a three-year Organizational Consulting certification training at CIPD in the UK.
She completed her PhD at Sheffield University UK with a specialization in Health Psychology and Chronic Disease Management and was certified by MCI as an Accredited Medical Trainer, Health Coach & Burn Out Specialist.
She has been working for 24 years as an individual and group psychotherapist, as a business consultant, as a trainer of health scientists in the management of chronic diseases but also as a trainer of communication management “Doctor & Patient” & “Palliative Care” for the last 12 years in multinational pharmaceutical companies in Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

Paris A. Kosmidis, a Medical – Oncologist was born in Athens in 1946 and is Head of the Second Medical-Oncology Department of HYGEIA Hospital. Prior to this position, he had served as Head of the Second Medical-Oncology Department at HAGIOI ANARGYRI Cancer Hospital (1981 – 1985) and Head of the Second Medical-Oncology Department at METAXA Hospital (1985 – 1997). Dr. Kosmidis is a graduate and PhD holder from the Medical School of Athens and has been specialized in Pathology, Hematology and Oncology at Sinai Hospital in Detroit, Wayne State University and Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan, USA (1973 – 1980). He is also a founding member of Hellenic oncology societies, as the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group, the Hellenic Foundation for Cancer Research, the Hellenic Society of Gastrointestinal Oncology and a principal investigator of many studies in Greece and abroad. He is the author of many books and articles published in leading international oncology journals. He is a member of the editorial board of many international journals. Dr. Kosmidis has received two Athens Academy awards and has been also awarded by many oncology societies; he is an honorary member of ESMO (European Society of Medical Oncologists) and the Italian Medical Oncology Association. Dr. Kosmidis was the President of the 23rd European Conference of Medical Oncology held in Athens in 1998, the National Representative of Greek Oncologists in ESMO, President of ESMO (2004-2006), and held a position of visiting professor at Colorado University, USA. Moreover, he has served as President and member of the Oncology Committee of the Ministry of Health at various points in time as well as President of the Scientific Committee of “METAXA”, “HAGIOI ANARGIRI” and “HYGEIA” hospitals.

Dimitris Bourantas is a Management Professor, Head of the Executive MBA and MSc in Human Resources in the Athens University of Economics and Business. He has managed a large number of research programs on Management in Greece and is the author of 7 books, of which the following are best sellers: Management, BENOS publishing house (2002) and Leadership: the road for sustainable success KRITIKI publishing house (2005). His novel I taught you everything but forgot one word (PATAKIS publishing house) won the Readers’ Award (ΕΚΕVΙ prizes 2008) and was listed as a best seller for four years. Moreover, his books On stage without rehearsal (PATAKIS publishing house), The Letter of Hope (LIVANIS publishing house), Talking to my children for a really successful professional and personal life (PATAKIS publishing house) and Cry of Silence (poems, PATAKIS publishing house) were on the Best Seller List for several months. In the near future his book Leadership meta-competencies shall be published by Ashgate-Gower Publications. He has also supervised many PhDs that have been awarded first and second European Prizes.
He has acquired substantial experience, having worked as an executive, consultant and trainer for international organizations as the EU, OECD and CIHEAM and for many Greek and multinational firms including: ΤΙΤΑΝ, Εurobank, Nestle, Coca Cola, Unilever, Diageo, Vodafone, Cosmote, Barclays, Citibank, Bayer, Oracle, Rank Xerox, BAT, Schneider, SAP, Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece, Αgricultural Bank of Greece, Emporiki Bank, Egnatia Bank, Minerva, Carrefour, Pepsico, Marks & Spencer, Boehringer Ing., National Post Offices, Hellenic Railways, Public Power Company, Aloumil, A.V. Vasilopoulos, Apivita, Vivechrom, Bosch, Alico, Interamerican, Landis & Gyr, Famar, Roche, Praktiker, DDB, Wind, Chatzopoulos, Olympos, Iaso, Lilly. Dimirtis Bourantas specializes in executive and team building, in management of changes, in corporate culture administration and in strategic streamlining of businesses and organizations. He has repeatedly received the award “High Performance in Teaching” from the Department of Management Sciences and Technologies of the Economic University of Athens. He delivers more than 100 speeches every year, all over Greece pro bono. A large number of his interviews appear in daily newspapers and magazines, as well as on the radio and on TV, both in Greece and abroad (Νew York Times, German Radio, Finish TV and more).

Maria Saridi is an Assistant Professor, at the University of Thessaly and Hospital Manager, General Hospital of Argolis, Greece. Scientific Fellow, Department of Social and Educational Policy, University of Peloponnese, Corinth, Greece. Tutor in Greek Open University.
RN, Faculty of Health and Caring Professions, Nursing Department. BSc studies, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Nursing, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Master of science in Clinical Nursing. PhD in Health Promotion (2011). Post Doc in Health Promotion (2019).
Over 30 years as hospital Nurse and over 10 years as a Director of Nursing Department. Teaching Assistant in University of Peloponnese, Department of Social and Educational Policy in Master education program and Scientific fellow in 5 research programs from university of Peloponnese.
Instructor in many special tutorials in Seminars and conferences. Intervention in Community with health promotion programs in health education, first aid and sun protection.
Chapters in Books and publications in Greek and International scientific journals (over 140) with high impact factor and citations total ≈750. Many oral or poster presentations and prizes in Greek or International Forum. Continuing education ≈900 UEMS or CME credits.

Kyriakos Souliotis is Professor of Health Policy at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences and he was Vice Rector of Social and Regional Development (2016-2017) at the University of Peloponnese. He also teaches courses on health policy, health economics and health care management at the Medical School of the University of Athens and the Medical School of the University of Crete. From July 2017 to June 2019 he was Senior Associate Director at the Medical Technology Research Group of the LSE Enterprise. He has acted as Scientific Advisor to the Social Insurance Institute (IKA) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (2002 -2004), Member of the Board of Directors of the A’ Health Care Trust of Attica (2002 -2004), Head of Human Resources Management at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center (2002-2006), Administrative Director at MITERA (Hygeia Group, 2006-2007) and Managing Director of Planning and Development and Chief Planning Officer at the Mutual Health Fund of the National Bank of Greece Personnel (2007-2010).
From May 2010 to December 2011, he served as President of OPAD (Health Care Organization for Public Servants), and from May 2011 to September 2012, as Vice President of EOPYY (National Organisation for Health Care Services Provision).
From June 2010 to August 2013, he was a member of the National Ethics Committee for Clinical Trials and the Steering Committee for Rare Diseases.
He has acted as a country expert on cancer at the OECD and he is currently serving as a member of the Steering Committee of PACT (The Patient Access Partnership on Equity of Access to Quality Healthcare – Brussels) and as a member of the Scientific Committee of the OIS (Osservatorio Internazionale della Salute – Rome).
He has extensive research experience in Greece and abroad and he has acted as the Scientific Lead / Project Manager in 35 research projects. He has published 27 books and 290 chapters in books and papers in peer reviewed journals on health policy and economics, organization and administration of health services, economic inequalities, etc. He has participated as speaker in over 450 scientific conferences and he is acting as reviewer for international journals.
He is Associate Editor at “BMC Public Health” (BioMed Central) and has been Associate Editor at “Health Expectations” (Wiley).

Professor Kostas Syrigos graduated from Athens School of Medicine in 1988. He was trained in Internal Medicine at the Laikon University Hospital (Athens School of Medicine, NKUA) and in Medical Oncology at the Hammersmith Hospital (Imperial College of Medicine, Sciences & Art, London University). He got his M.D. thesis with distinction, from the Athens School of Medicine, in 1995 and his Ph.D. thesis on Immuno-Oncology, from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London University, in 2000. He worked as Medical Oncologist Senior Registrar at the Hammersmith and St Bartholomew’s Hospitals, in London and as Consultant of the 3rd Department of Medicine, Athens School of Medicine, at the “Sotiria” General Hospital, in Athens.
In 2002 he was appointed Associate Professor of Oncology in Medicine and Head of the Sotiria Oncology Unit. From 2008 he is Visiting Professor of Thoracic Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale Cancer Center & Smilow Cancer Hospital, CT, USA. From 2012 he is Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA. His main fields of interest are clinical research, drugs development, immuno- oncology, as well as thoracic and Head & Neck oncology. Since 2014 he is Head of the 3rd Department of Medicine and of the Oncology Unit of Athens School of Medicine, NKUA, at “Sotiria” General Hospital. Since 2019 he is Chair of the Faculty of Medicine, Athens Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), GR.                                                                                      He is the Director and Scientific Chair of two Postgraduate Programs of Studies leading to a Master degree:
– New Drugs Development: Research, Approval & Access.
– Thoracic Oncology: Current Clinical & Laboratory Approach and research
Dr Syrigos participated in several (>200) international clinical trials Phase I-IV in lung, head & neck, colorectal, breast and pancreatic cancer. He has served as Global Principal Investigator and member of the Scientific Steering Committees of multiple international clinical trials. He is a member of numerous scientific societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), the European Respiratory Society (ERS), and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). He has served as co-editor of the Oncology Research journal, he is sitting on the editorial board of >25 scientific journals and reviewer for >100 scientific journals. He is the editor of 14 International Scientific Volumes. He is the author of >900 peer-reviewed, international full articles and book chapters, with > 26.000 citations and an h-index >72. He is currently sitting as member of the ESMO Translational Research Group, of the IASLC Education Committee and of the ESMO Lung Cancer Faculty.In 2020 he founded and runs the Infectious Diseases Department, at “Sotiria” Hospital, dedicated to the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Since Mars 2018, Professor Syrigos is sitting as Chairman of the Board of Directors of SOS Children’s Villages Greece.