Charis Roussos - Biography#

Charis S. Roussos (b. 1942 in Santorini, Member of the Academy of Athens since 2011). Charis Roussos graduated from the National University of Athens Medical School with Honors in 1966, specialized in Internal Medicine, and was an Intern and Resident at the University Department of Clinical Therapeutics from 1968 to 1972. From 1973 to 1982, he furthered his specialization in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care at Johns Hopkins University Hospital (Baltimore), Boston City Hospital (under the auspices of Boston, Tufts and Harvard Universities), Royal Victoria Hospital (McGill University, Montreal) and Hôpital Universitaire Laennec (Paris). From 1982 until 1988, he was Professor and Director of the Critical Care Division (Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University). From 1988 until 2009, he was Professor of Internal and Critical Care Medicine at the National University of Athens Medical School and Director of the University Critical Department at Evangelismos Hospital. From 2006-2009 he was also Head of the University Pulmonary Division at Sotiria Hospital. Ηe moreover served as Chairman of the Internal Medicine Department of the University for two years (1999-2001) and Chair or Member of several examination committees for diplomas in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine, both in Greece and abroad.

Charis Roussos received his Ph.D. from the University of Athens and McGill University with Honours (magna cum laude). He was awarded the titles of Scholar (1979) and Scientist (1984) by the Medical Research Council of Canada, Priv. Doz. of Internal Medicine at the University of Athens (1980), Professeur Associé at the University of Marseilles (1987), Adjunct Professor at McGill University (1989-present) and Honorary Professor at the University of Ioannina and Democritus University of Thrace. He is an honorary member of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCP), recipient of the Jonathan Balloon Award by the Canadian Heart Association in 1981 and the Xanthopoulos-Pneumaticos Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching in 2008. He has been a member of the Fleischner Society (1995), which has 65 active members from around the globe, the American Society for Clinical Investigation (1982), the Executive Committee of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (1992), President of the European Respiratory Society (1996), Executive Director of the European Lung Foundation (1998), President of the Hellenic Society of Intensive Care (1989) and member of the European Research Group of Respiratory Intensive Care (1991). He is the founder of the Academic Intensive Care Medicine in Greece and among the opinion leaders of restructuring Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in Europe and Greece.

He has served as member of the Administrative Board of Evangelismos Hospital, of the Scientific Committee of the National Research Foundation, Head of the studies program Curriculum Committee of Athens Medical School, Chair or Member of Training Programs of the Central Health Council, and Coordinator of the Committee for the Modernization of the Greek Healthcare Service. He has been the Greek Representative to the World Health Organization (WHO) for tobacco-related issues and a leading figure in the fight against smoking in Europe: he was instrumental in passing the laws of banning tobacco advertisement in Europe, advocates smoking cessation and is still in charge of smoking cessation projects.

Charis Roussos is the author of numerous chapters in leading textbooks, such as Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, Murray & Nadel’s Textbook of Respiratory Medicine, Principles of Critical Care Medicine (Hall, Schmidt & Wood), Handbook of Physiology (Fishman, Mead & Macklem), as well as reviews in internationally renowned scientific journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine. He has been a member of the Editorial Board of prestigious journals, (European Journal of Internal Medicine, Journal of Applied Physiology, Chest, and others). He is the Editor of 18 books (3 written in Greek, 5 written in English and 10 translated into Greek). The three volume book “The Thorax” is a classical book related to physiology and pathophysiology of the chest wall. He has written many Editorials, and has been the main supervisor for over 50 Ph.D. and MSc. dissertations, both in Greece and abroad. Many of his students have become Professors and/or Directors of Divisions/Departments in hospitals in Greece and abroad.

Charis Roussos is the author of more than 500 papers, reviews and chapters written in English. He is one of the highly cited Greek scientists with over 20,000 citations with h-index 76 and his studies have been characterized as seminal, as stated in the official journal of European Intensive Care Medicine. Ηis research has been conducted in the laboratories of McGill University and the University of Athens in Evangelismos Hospital. His main research interests are: ventilation distribution, respiratory muscle fatigue, particularly in shock, chest wall mechanics, experimental studies on the use of flavonoids for the treatment of infections and sepsis, new methods of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the role of non-myelinated nerve fibers of the diaphragm in the control of breathing and circulation, the non-invasive technique for assessing the intracranial pressure. It should be noted that the findings of the above mentioned last project were considered one of the 25 best projects that the EU has funded in Greece and it was the only one mentioned in the area of research, published in a special issue by the European Union in 2003, entitled: «Regions in action, a country on the move. A selection of successful projects supported by the Structural Funds in Greece, page 32: When life hangs by a thread: medical engineering at the cutting edge».

Charis Roussos is the founder and Chair of the Thorax Foundation, he is Vice President of the Executive Committee of the (BRFAA) Biomedical Research Foundation and in charge for the future planning of this Institute, Council member of the Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM), medical consultant/evaluator of international Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Vice-President of the Greek Archaeological Society. Vice-Chair of the Santorini Poorhouse, Chair of the K. & A. Roussos Charitable Foundation, coordinator of the reconstruction of the Santorini Hospital, responsible for the funding and construction of the new wards in Evangelismos Hospital and Sotiria Hospital in Athens.