Dr Philippos PATSALIS
Professor of Genetics, NIPD Genetics Public Company
Honorary Member of the Biological Society of Cyprus (CBS)
Prof. Philippos Patsalis has a BSc in Biology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and an MA, MPh and PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the City University of New York. He has also done postdoctoral studies in Genetics at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Centre, New York University, Cornell University, New York University and Columbia University in New York. In 1993 he founded and headed the Department of Cytogenetics and Genomics at the then newly established Institute of Neurology and Genetics of Cyprus. In 2007 he took over as General Executive & Medical Director of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics. Under his leadership, the Institute achieved tremendous growth and international recognition as a centre of excellence. In 2010 he founded the postgraduate school of Molecular Medicine in Cyprus, where he was the first Professor and Rector. In 2011 he founded NIPD Genetics which he manages as General Executive and Medical Director until today. Between 2014-2015, he served as Minister of Health of the Republic of Cyprus, during which he reorganised the sector of pharmaceutical services, the development and promotion of the new General Health System and the autonomy of public hospitals in Cyprus. He served in many national and international academic councils, such as the Board of the University of Cyprus for the establishment of the Medical School, on the Board of the European University of Cyprus, twice elected member of the European Council of Human Genetics, National Representative of Cyprus in the Council of Europe of the World Health Organization. He has been declared an external member of the National Academy of Sciences of Lithuania and is a member of the Boards of several Scientific Publications. Today he is Professor of Human Genetics at the Medical School of the University of Nicosia, Distinguished Professor of the Institute of Neurology and Genetics and President of the National Council for Research and Innovation of Cyprus.
Award rationale Dr Philippou PATSALIS
This proclamation and honorary distinction of the Biological Society of Cyprus (CBS) is based on the excellent contribution of Dr Philippos Patsalis to date in the fields of health, science, research and in general his distinguished contribution to the Cypriot society but also to the promotion of biological sciences and issues more broadly. The rationale of the award focuses on the fact that Prof. Philippos Patsalis is a leading figure, who contributed significantly to the development of the science of Molecular Biology and Genetics in Cyprus and abroad. Prof. Philippos Patsalis is a scientist with a huge contribution to the establishment and development of research and academic activity in our country with international recognition in the field of Molecular Biology, Biomedicine and Human Genetics. He is considered one of the pioneers of development and subsequent continuous upgrading in Cyprus for the last 30 years of competitive research, development and provision of specialised Biomedical services and the provision of educational and academic activities in the fields of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics. This is documented by his leadership and action in important positions, as read in his CV. In addition, he has been invited as a speaker at more than 200 Universities and international conferences. He has secured 50 competitive research projects as a research officer, including the European Union’s most competitive programs, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th Framework Program, Horizon 2020 and ERC POC and ERC Advanced, which are the most competitive in Europe because they are awarded with based solely on excellence. He holds 45 patents, has contributed chapters to 11 books and has published over 130 original scientific publications in prestigious international scientific journals, such as Nature Genetics, Nature Protocols, American Journal of Human Genetics, Human Molecular Genetics, Lancet, etc. He has been awarded more than 40 national and international awards, as well as numerous awards for his contribution to the fields of Science and Social Contribution. Among them he has received the Distinguished US Alumni Award from the US Department of State, the National Research Award, the National Innovation Award, Awards from Universities in Cyprus and abroad, the Award from the President of the Republic of Cyprus, and the Argos Medal of the House of Representatives, which is the highest distinction of the House of Representatives of Cyprus. With this reasoning, the Biological Society of Cyprus (CBS) awards Prof. Philippos Patsalis the title of Honorary Member.