Honorary President

George Kollias is a biologist, Member of the Academy of Athens, Professor of Experimental Physiology at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Director of the Immunology Division at the Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming“, where he served as President and Scientific director from 2002-2010.Dr. Kollias has pioneered genetic approaches to study the function of cytokine signaling in animal models of human diseases, with specific focus on Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF). His lab is renowned for proof of principle preclinical studies that led to the development of anti-TNF therapies for rheumatoid arthritis and for advancing knowledge on molecular and cellular mechanisms driving chronic inflammation and autoimmunity. He has published over 160 primary research articles in peer-reviewed journals and more than 40 reviews and commentaries (h-index 74 Source: Google Scholar). Dr. Kollias has led several efforts for the development of biomedical infrastructures of scientific and technological excellence at a National and European level that have contributed decisively to the support of a new generation of Greek scientists.In 2014, he was awarded the Carol-Nachman Award for Rheumatology and in 2015 he received the first Galien Scientific Research Award at the Prix Galien Greece.