Speakers

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  Stella Angus-Anagnostou 5th Year Medical Student at AUSoM
  

  Stella Angus-Anagnostou

  5th Year Medical Student at AUSoM

  Growing up in Melbourne, Australia, choosing to pursue medicine abroad, especially in the country I was born in, was driven not only by academic ambition, but by a deep curiosity about people, culture, and how care is expressed across societies. Doing it in Greece’s first International Medical Program was a risk that not only paid off but has shaped who I am as a person entirely.
  Beyond the amphitheaters and hospital wards, I have come to admire the resilience, and unique attitudes of Greek culture. From shared meals and everyday conversations to the strong sense of community that patient care is based on, there are so many experiences that have shaped my understanding of medicine as a science but most importantly as a deeply human practice.
  I am particularly passionate about learning through service and regularly volunteering my time in clinical settings, where I strive to grow under the guidance of experienced physicians. Each interaction reinforces my belief that physicians must be culturally fluent to provide the standard of care we as humans deserve.

  As I continue my journey, I aim to become a physician who not only treats disease, but truly sees people, honoring their stories, values, and cultures. I hope to bring all the strong attributes of Greece and everything I learned back to my home town, and wherever I work next.

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  Kyriakos Anastasiadis Rector of Aristotle University (AUTH) & Professor of Cardiac Surgery
  

  Kyriakos Anastasiadis

  Rector of Aristotle University (AUTH) & Professor of Cardiac Surgery

  Kyriakos Anastasiadis, Professor of Cardiac Surgery, is the Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki since 2025.
  He obtained his MD from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1991 and his doctoral thesis (PhD) in 2004. Since 2011 he serves as Head of Cardiothoracic Department at AHEPA University Hospital in Thessaloniki. In 2017 he was elected Deputy Head and between 2020-2024 he served as Head of the Aristotle University School of Medicine and President of the Biomedical Research and Education Special Unit.
  Kyriakos Anastasiadis is a pioneer and key-opinion-leader in the field of minimal invasive extracorporeal technologies, founder of Minimal Invasive Extracorporeal Technologies International Society (MiECTiS). Moreover, he founded in 2015 the Postgraduate Course on Extracorporeal Technologies at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of Medicine, which is the only accredited program in Greece by the respective European Board. He is fellow of the European Board of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (FETCS), the European Society of Cardiology (FESC), and the American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP). He has been appointed as President of the National Boards of Cardiothoracic Surgery for Northern Greece.
  He has edited 8 books and more than 16 book chapters, while he authored numerous publications which received more than 3,000 citations. He obtained the Best Innovator Award by the Royal Society of Medicine in 2010 and a Honorary Distinction by the Director of Cardiac Centre in Mauritius, Africa after completion of a humanitarian philanthropic mission. He was recognized by the Greek Reporter as one of the Greeks Who Left their Mark in 2018.