What is your academic background?
After graduating from Medical School in Greece I specialised in Obstetrics & Gynecology in the UK for 6 years at institutes such as King’s College and Royal London. Whilst at King’s College I was a Research Fellow at the Harris Birthright Unit for Fetal Medicine under Prof. Kypros Nikolaides.
I obtained the European Diploma in Gynecological Laparoscopy & Hysteroscopy, in Université d’Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France, the Diploma in Robotic Laparoscopy in Strasbourg and the Diploma of Faculty for Family Planning of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG).
I specialised in IVF and worked in the Assisted Reproduction Unit of Saint Bartholomew’s University Hospital, London
What is your professional path?
Coming back in Athens in 2003 I was associate of the of Mitera IVF Unit, where I also served as Scientific Director.
I am medical adviser at Redia IVF and since 2019 I am Member of the Board of Directors of Mitera Hospital, the largest Maternity Hospital in Greece.
Since January 2022 I am Vice-President of Hygeia IVF, the largest and newest IVF Unit in Greece.
I teach in the Postgraduate Program “Human Reproduction” in the University of Thrace and I am co-founder of the Non-Profit Association for the Assistance of Reproduction “Be-Live”, which provides free IVF treatment to infertile couples with financial difficulties.
How do you feel about being a Redia IVF medical adviser?
I would say it’s an honour for me to be part of the Redia team. It offers pioneering services to infertility patients, collaborates with the best IVF Units in Europe and proposes solutions that are realistic and effective without patients having to spend a fortune on them. We are proud of the service we provide, of our success rates, and of the children we deliver to people with fertility issues.
How do you see Redia IVF in 3-5 years?
Everyone in Redia IVF is happy to see our refund idea becoming a new model for serving people with infertility across Europe. I believe our plan is to gain the trust of more and more people who are trying to have a child, and thus expand our service throughout Europe by partnering with large organisations and with even more IVF units, creating a network of exemplary service. Unfortunately the infertility problem is becoming more acute and organisations like ours are increasingly needed to address it.
How do you balance your personal and professional life?
This is something I really didn’t expect to need so much effort when I started my career.
One has to completely separate these situations. Treating patients especially in Reproductive Gynaecology consumes a lot of time and one has to be calm and also provide love and peace to his family. And in the time spent together with his loved ones, to make them understand that work is not the end but the means to improve the world. Family is the biggest part of one’s world.
What are your daily routines?
I get up early in the morning to see my son before school and head to HYGEIA IVF and the MITERA Maternity Hospital where I perform IVF treatments and gynaecological operations until 2pm. Most afternoons of the week I continue straight to my private practice where I stay late into the evening examining and providing consultation to patients. In total a typical working day lasts about 14 hours and I get home at 10 pm to catch my son again before he falls asleep and see my wife who is Dentist. Talking with them is the best way to decompress a long day full of responsibilities.
What or who are your sources of inspiration?
My family. My two sons, my wife, my parents. They are the people who raised me and gave me behavioural examples, my wife who has been by my side for 20 years and supports me, corrects me and improves me. And of course my children are the ones who make me strive to improve our society and give it my best.
How do you spend your free time?
I try to have quality time with my family, spend time with my dear friends, read books and exercise. Skiing and motorsports are my two favourite hobbies. Ideally I would like to be able to find time to travel more and seek out experiences with my beloved ones.
What is your favourite book?
Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari. This book assisted me to take the first step in the entire history of the human race as it reviews everything our species has been through, spanning two and half million years of human evolution. Not only it describes the facts, but analyses and links them together, explaining step by step how our society came to be as we know it today.
What is your favourite film?
Papillon! Although it is an old film based on the life of a real man, Steve McQueen gives an excellent performance as a man who is seeking his freedom. This is a paradigm for anyone who has goals and shows that perseverance is a virtue that ultimately rewards.
How do you see yourself in the future?
I hope I will consider myself fulfilled with the work I have done and happy for the lives I have contributed to the world. We have just finished HYGEIA IVF Athens, a state of the art Unit in which we have invested a lot of money and time. During the first 4 months in 2022 we have exceptional success rates.
I envision this Unit to prove that besides being the largest in Greece it is also the best in Europe and to grow by developing satellite units in major cities in Greece and Europe. That is our goal and that is what we, the people who created it are working hard to achieve.
