Biography

Argiris Symeonidis was born in Patras, Greece, and graduated as specialist Hematologist in 1991. Between 1995 and 1999 he worked as consultant Hematologist in the University Hospital of Patras. He received his PhD Diploma in 1999, investigating the prognostic significance of immunological abnormalities of patients with MDS. In 2000 he was elected lecturer of Hematology in the University of Patras. He has then worked as Honorary lecturer in the Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, of the Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, (Prof. Shimon Slavin). Between 2002 and 2005 he was the transplant coordinator of the Stem-cell Transplantation Unit of the University of Patras. In 2005 he was elected assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Hematology. In 2006 he spent a Sabbatical at the University College Hospital, and the Royal Free Hospital in London, (Prof. David Linch and Anthony Goldstone). In 2010 he was elected Associated Professor of Hematology. He is now Head of the Dept of Hematology and the Stem Cell Transplantation Unit of the University Hospital of Patras. On 2015 he was elected Full Professor of Hematology in the University of Patras.
He is married with Alexandra Kouraklis and they have 3 daughters.
He has contributed in the educational program of the Annual Hellenic Congress of Hematology almost every year after 1999, in 2 training courses of the European School of Oncology held in Greece, in the European Society of Hematology in the year 2013 and in many other scientific events in Greece and abroad.
He is a member of the Hellenic Society of Hematology, the European Hematology Association, the American Society of Hematology, the EBMT (Chronic Malignancies and Aplastic Anemia Working Parties), the MDS Foundation and of the European Working Group on Gaucher’s Disease. He has reviewed more than 200 manuscripts and research proposals in several hematological journals the last 25 years. Since 2002 he is a member of the Editorial Board and later Associate Editor of the Journal “Haema/Αίμα” of the Hellenic Society of Hematology.
He has been elected as member of the Administrative Committee of the Hellenic Society of Hematology for the period 1996-1998, vice-president of the “Hellenic (Greek) MDS and Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes’ Study Group” for the periods 1997-1999, 1999-2001, 2003-2005, 2007-2009, 2009-2011 and 2011-2013, and President of the same group the periods 2013-2015 and 2017-2021, as well as a member of the Administrative Committee of the Hellenic Lymphoma Study Group for the period 1999-2001 and 2001-2003. He has organized and is Head of the “Hellenic National Registry of the Myelodysplastic and Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes”, in which over 3000 Greek patients with MDS have been registered, and participates as country coordinator in the European Leukemia Net “EU-MDS Registry.” He is also member of the Steering Committe of the European LeukemiaNet-based MDS Registry. He is the contact person and responsible physician of the Patras “MDS Center of Excellence” awarded by the MDS Foundation.
He has written 4 book Chapters, 12 full-reviews in International Symposia, and 42 in Greek Journals. He has presented or contributed in about 300 original presentations in Greek National Congresses, (1st author in 90) and about 500 presentations in various International Meetings, Congresses and Symposia (1st author in 85). He has also contributed in 205 original scientific publications, (28 as corresponding author) 198 of which are presented in PUBMED, which have been received about 10,000 citations.
Among his major topics of interest the cell biology and treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Hematopoietic stem-cell Transplantation, invasive fungal infections, epidemiology, biology and treatment of multiple myeloma, and Gaucher disease are included.