I was born in Trikala, a small town in central Greece and I graduated from Aristotle University’s medical school in Thessaloniki, Greece.
I hold a PhD in surgery from the Kapodestrian University of Athens and a Master’s degree in International Health with a focus in health crisis management from the University of Athens, being member of its faculty.
I joined Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in 2002 and have since held several roles. My first assignment was in Greece as a field doctor, working with migrants and refugees. I then worked as a doctor in an HIV/AIDS project in Zambia in 2004 and 2005.
After a break from international work, during which I was trained in surgery, I rejoined MSF in 2013 for assignments in a number of conflict zones and insecure contexts, including South Sudan, Iraq, and Cameroon, as an emergency and trauma surgeon.
Since 2005 I have served as General Secretary, Vice-President and President of MSF Greece’s Board of Directors. I was elected as International President of MSF in June 2019.