The Academy of Athens has announced its latest member, and the news is making waves in the medical community. During its plenary session on April 6th, the prestigious institution elected Professor Aristidis Krilis as a Corresponding Member from Greeks abroad in the field of “Medicine” in the First Class of the Natural Sciences.
Dr Krilis, who was born in Athens and later emigrated to Australia during his childhood, has an impressive track record of achievements in the field of medicine. After completing his undergraduate studies at the Medical School of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, where he graduated with honours, Dr Krilis continued his training in Internal Medicine with a specialisation in Immunology at St George’s University Hospital. He also completed his doctoral thesis in Allergology at the Medical School of Sydney.
Dr Krilis went on to conduct postdoctoral studies at Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School in the United States, from 1981 to 1983, where he continued to work periodically from 1988 to 2014 as a visiting professor under the guidance of the renowned immunologist, Professor Frank Austen.
Currently, Dr Krilis serves as the Director of the Department of Immunology, Allergy, and Sexual Health at St George Hospital in New South Wales. His research program primarily focuses on autoimmune thrombosis, platelet biology, oxidative stress, and age-related macular degeneration.
However, Dr. Krilis he is best known for his contributions to understanding the pathogenesis of antiphospholipid syndrome, a common acquired disorder of blood clotting that is often associated with recurrent miscarriages in pregnant women and arterial or venous thrombosis.
Dr Krilis has published over 270 scientific papers, which have received 24,425 citations and an H-factor of 67 (Google Scholar 2022). He has held many leadership roles and served as an organiser and speaker at many international meetings and conferences, such as the 11th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies in 2004.
Dr Krilis has also served on numerous international advisory boards, notably as the only Australian Representative on the Scientific Advisory Committee of Excellence in Rheumatology. He has received several awards for his research and clinical contributions.
The election of Dr Krilis as a Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens is a significant milestone in his illustrious career. The Academy’s decision to honour him with the prestigious title is a testament to his lifelong dedication to translational medical research and his immense contributions to the field of medicine. Dr Krilis’s work has undoubtedly impacted the medical community and has advanced our understanding of complex diseases such as antiphospholipid syndrome.
