Professor Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein, MD, PhD, FMH (CH), born in Nicosia, Cyprus, is Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology and Director of the First Department of Pediatrics of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the biggest Department of Pediatrics in the biggest children’s Hospital of Greece.
Prof. C. Kanaka-Gantenbein performed her medical studies at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the oldest and most prestigious University in Greece as a top-grade student. As a scholarship recipient of the German Exchange Foundation for Academics (DAAD: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) she trained in Pediatrics in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, then as a recipient of the Papavramides scholarship of the University of Athens, she completed her training in Pediatrics at the University Children’s Hospital in Berne (Kinderklinik des Inselspitals Bern), Switzerland. After her Specialisation in Paediatrics, she subspecialized in Pediatric Endocrinology in the Kinderklinik des Inselspitals Bern Switzerland under the supervision of the late professors Klaus Zuppinger and Primus Mullis, then as a recipient of the Research Fellowship grant of the European Society for pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) she continued her research and subspecialisation in Hôpital Robert Debré, in Paris, France, under the supervision of professor Paul Czernichow and finally as a consultant at the University Children’s Hospital in Geneva, Switzerland under the supervision of Professor Pierre Sizonenko. She has obtained both the Title of Specialization in Pediatrics in Greece (1991) and the FMH title of Pediatrics with specialization in Pediatric Endocrinology in Switzerland (1996). Upon her return in Athens, she was elected as Assistant Professor for Pediatric Endocrinology and Juvenile Diabetes at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 2004, as Associate Professor in 2011 and as Full Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology in 2016. In June 2018 Professor Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein has been elected Director of the first Department of Pediatrics of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and is now leading the biggest University Children’s Hospital in Greece, deeply interested in providing high standard education to the medical students, to the Fellows and Residents in Pediatrics as well as the best care to the young pediatric patients, continuing her research in pediatric Endocrinology-Diabetology.
She is an active member of the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE). She has held over 500 lectures in several National and International Congresses over the years, has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers in Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology, is a reviewer of several international journals and is an active member of several Endocrine Societies worldwide.