speaker biography

Apostolos Vantarakis

Professor of Hygiene at the Department of Medicine, University of Patras, since 2017. He served as Assistant Professor at the Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece (June 2004 – May 2008). He is a former Technical Inspector at the Hellenic Food Authority (EFET), Ministry of Rural Development and Food, where he was Head of the Department of Laboratory Controls and Measurements. He also served as a Technical Inspector at the Center for the Prevention of Occupational Risks / Labor Inspectorate of Western Greece, specializing in occupational health and safety issues. He received his B.Sc. in Biology in 1990 from the University of Patras, Greece, his M.Sc. in Genetic Toxicology in 1991 from University College Swansea, Wales, UK, and his Ph.D. in Hygiene–Environmental Microbiology in 1998 from the University of Patras. His research focus is Public Health and Environment. He has supervised more than 25 European projects (European Union, Horizon, FP7, Erasmus, Interreg, etc.) and over 60 research projects funded by Ministries, Regional Operational Programmes, Prefectures, and Municipalities, serving as Scientific Coordinator/Principal Investigator. He has supervised research projects addressing vulnerable social groups (e.g., migrants, Roma populations) with emphasis on environmental impact. He has supervised 10 doctoral dissertations (6 in English), more than 60 Master’s theses, and 50 undergraduate dissertations. He has authored 180 peer-reviewed papers in international journals, 20 peer-reviewed papers in Greek journals, and over 160 articles in Greek journals and newspapers (non-peer-reviewed). He has written six books. He is a member of 10 scientific societies. He serves as Associate Editor of the journals Water Science & Technology, Water Safety, and Advances in Public Health, and as a member of the Editorial Board of Food & Environmental Virology, Journal of Diseases and Global Health, and Advances in Public Health. He is also a reviewer for Virology Journal, Journal of Virological Methods, Environmental Research and Hygiene, and the International Public Health Journal. He is Director of the MSc Program in Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of Patras, and of the MSc Program in Epidemiology, School of Science, Hellenic Open University. He has established five certified lifelong learning seminars at the Center for Lifelong Learning of the University of Patras (Health Promotion, Bioethics, Risk Assessment, Environment and Health, Childhood Obesity). He has organized five international and twenty national conferences/workshops. He has published more than 150 papers in the proceedings of international conferences and 70 in Greek conference proceedings. He has delivered nine invited lectures at international conferences and more than 50 lectures/presentations at Greek conferences and scientific events. He is Chair of the Service Provision Committee of the Research Committee (ELKE) of the University of Patras. He previously served as Director of the Clinical Laboratories Sector, Department of Medicine, University of Patras, and as Vice President of the Social Welfare Committee of the University of Patras. He is a member of the Bioethics Committee of the University of Patras, the Health and Safety Coordinating Committee (since 2009), the Center for Lifelong Learning, the Library and e-Class Committee of the Department of Medicine (since 2012), and the Water Resources Committee of the University of Patras (since 2014). He served as Chair of the Sports Committee of the University of Patras during the academic years 2014–2017. Since 2018, he has been President of the Panhellenic Union of Bioscientists.  20 ερευνητικές εργασίες σε ελληνικά περιοδικά (κατόπιν κρίσης) , >160 άρθρα σε ελληνικά περιοδικά/εφημερίδες (χωρίς κρίση).  Συγγραφή 6 βιβλίων Μέλος 10 επιστημονικών εταιρειών και Βοηθός εκδότη (Assoc. Editor) στα περιοδικά Water Science Technology & Water Safety, Advances in Public Health καθώς και μέλος του Συντακτικού Συμβουλίου (Editorial Board) του περιοδικού Food & Environmental Virology, Journal of Diseases and Global Health, Advances in Public Health και κριτής στα περιοδικά Virology Journal, Journal of Virological Methods, Environmental Research and Hygiene, International Public Health Journal). Είναι Διευθυντής στο ΠΜΣ Δημόσια Υγεία, Τμ. Ιατρικής, Παν/μιο Πατρών και στο ΠΜΣ Επιδημιολογία, Σχ. Θετικών Επιστημών, ΕΑΠ Έχει ιδρύσει 5 σεμινάρια στο ΚΕΔΙΒΙΜ Παν/μιο Πατρών (Προαγωγή Υγείας, Βιοηθική, Εκτίμηση Επικινδυνότητας, Περιβάλλον και Υγεία, Παιδική Παχυσαρκία). Έχει διοργανώσει 5 ξένα και 20 ελληνικά συνέδρια/ημερίδες, έχει δημοσιεύσει πάνω από 150 ανακοινώσεις σε πρακτικά διεθνών συνεδρίων, 70 ανακοινώσεις σε πρακτικά ελληνικών συνεδρίων, 9 ομιλίες ως προσκεκλημένος σε διεθνή συνέδρια και πάνω από 50 διαλέξεις/εισηγήσεις σε ελληνικά συνέδρια και ημερίδες. Είναι Πρόεδρος της Επιτροπής Παροχής Υπηρεσιών του ΕΛΚΕ του Παν/μιου Πατρών. Ήταν Διευθυντής Τομέα Κλινικών Εργαστηρίων, Τμ. Ιατρικής, Παν/μιου Πατρών. Ήταν Αντιπρόεδρος της Επιτροπής Κοινωνικής Μέριμνας του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών. Είναι μέλος της Επιτροπής Βιοηθικής του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών. Είναι μέλος της Συντονιστικής Επιτροπής Υγείας και Ασφάλειας του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών από το 2009 έως σήμερα. Είναι μέλος του Κέντρου Δια Βίου Μάθησης του Παν/μιου Πατρών. Είναι Μέλος της Επιτροπής Βιβλιοθήκης και e-class του Τμήματος Ιατρικής, από το 2012 . Είναι μέλος της Επιτροπής Υδατικών Πόρων του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών από το 2014 έως σήμερα. Ήταν Πρόεδρος της Επιτροπής Αθλητισμού του Παν/μίου Πατρών, τα ακαδημαϊκά έτη 2014-2017. Είναι Πρόεδρος της Πανελλήνιας Ένωσης Βιοεπιστημόνων από το 2018.