A Themed Issue in Honor of Professor Helen Giamarellou—Outstanding Contributions in the Fields of Antimicrobial Resistance and Difficult-to-Treat Resistance Pathogens

Dear Colleagues,

Prof. Helen Giamarellou received her medical degree from and completed her Doctoral Thesis (1970) at Athens University School of Medicine in Greece. She became a Research Fellow in Infectious Diseases at the Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago (1973-1974), under the auspices of the Infectious Diseases pioneer and famously known Prof. G.G. Jackson. She completed her postdoctoral training in Infectious Diseases at Wadsworth Medical Center in Los Angeles, as well as at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute in New York City and at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. In 1981, she obtained her PhD Thesis on “The Validity of Antibiotic Combination in vitro and in vivo” from Athens University Medical School.

In 1997, she became Professor of Internal Medicine at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, where, from 1975 to 2023, she lectured in topics related to Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, whereas she was also the founder, organizer, and teacher of the innovative and successful Annual Interactive Course on Rational Use of Antibiotics to be run for all graduating students at the Greek Medical Schools (2006-2023).

From 1997 to 2009, Helen Giamarellou was the Head of the newly established 4th Internal Medicine Department of the University of Athens Medical School, of which she was the founder and the organizer, which was initially located in Sismanoglion General Hospital (1997-2003) in the suburbs of Athens, and subsequently at University General Hospital 'ATTIKON' (2003-2009), located in Athens. She also organized the well-known Infectious Diseases Research Labs and Inf. Dis. Outpatient Clinics, including that of HIV Medicine. The latter centers served as reference points (though not for research) for patients suffering from 'difficult to treat infections', offering treatment free of charge using both microbiological work-ups and therapeutic consultations. After becoming Professor Emeritus in 2010, she became the Head of the 1^st Department of Internal Medicine-Infectious Diseases, as well as Head of the Infectious Diseases Research Lab at Hygeia General Hospital in Athens, working alongside with Athens Univ. School Med. for teaching and research.

From 2013 to 2017, she was elected by the National Public Health Organization (KEELPNO) as a “National Focal Point for Antimicrobial Resistance” at the ECDC in Stockholm, being the Official Representative of Greece.

After her personal efforts, the official subspecialty of Infectious Diseases was established in 1996 in Greece, and, therefore, she was officially qualified as the first Infectious Diseases Physician in her country. Her major research interests are focused on antibiotic stewardship, nosocomial infections, infection control, the epidemiology of resistance and the in vitro investigation of underlying resistance mechanisms, infections in the ICU, neutropenic host infections, indicated therapeutic approaches of MDR and XDR Gram-negative infections, and the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of newer antimicrobial agents.

She serves as a member of 24 medical societies (8 Greek, 16 international) including the Hellenic Society Of Chemotherapy, for which she served as the elected Chairman of the Executive Committee from 1998 to 2024, the International Society of Chemotherapy (co-opted board member, 1989–1993), ESCMID (co-opted member of the Executive Committee, 2000–2003), F.E.S.C.I. (Chairman, 2003–2007), EORTC, APUA, the International Collaboration on Endocarditis ( Duke Univ., USA), British Society of Chemotherapy, and Amphiaraion Foundation of Chemotherapeutic Studies (General Secretary, 1985–2023). She also served as a member of 24 national and international societies in the field of Infectious Diseases, including the Greek National Hospital Infection Committee, the International Affairs Committee of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (1988-2001), the Hellenic Center of Disease Control and Prevention (Board Member 2006-2013), ESAC (European Surveillance Antimicrobial Consumption), ECDC (a member of the scientific Advisory Forum and as 'Resistance Focal Point' representative of Greece, 2007–2016).

She is an adhoc reviewer of 29 International journals, including Clinical Infectious Diseases, Clinical Microbiology and Infection, European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Drugs, Drug Investigation, Lancet Infect Dis, Journal Infection, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Antimicrobials Agents and Chemotherapy, Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs, Expert Opinion on Anti-infective therapy, Eurosurveillance, Intensive Care Medicine, Critical Care, and International Journal Antimicrobial Agents (also serving as the Editor).

She has contributed as a member of organizing and/or scientific committees of 21 Congresses and Conferences in Greece and abroad.

Prof. Giamarellou is an author of 456 peer-reviewed journal articles (English literature) with 27.975 citations (SCOPUS). Her D-index is 85 and H-index 91.

She is a honorary Fellow of IDSA and ESCMID.

Because of her total contribution to Infectious Diseases, in 2014, she received the Ippokration Award, which until then had only been given to foreign distinguished scientists.

In 2018, she was included in the list of 6000 scientists from all over the world regarding her scientific influence (The Highly Cited Researchers).

In 2019, she was elected as a member of Academia Europaea.

She is currently Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School.

OTHER SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES:

• Founder of the Hellenic Infectious Diseases Society in 1993 (Chairman 1993-1996);
• Organizer, in cooperation with the Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention, of the “European Antibiotic Awareness Day”, annually, from 2007 to 2013, and “The International Antibiotic Awareness Week” since 2014;
• Organizer of a free-of-charge Consultation Center at Hygeia Hospital on 'TORCH Infections in Pregnancy', 2011–present;
• Founder of Educational Courses on 'Legends and Truths on Antibiotics and Vaccinations', targeting the public of different districts in Greece in cooperation with the Hellenic Society of Chemotherapy under the Auspices of the Athens Medical Society (2014–present);
• Founder of Educational Courses for preliminary schoolteachers in Greece on ‘the Prudent Use of Antibiotics’, introducing also the e-bug as a tool for teachers;
• Thirty studies have been awarded to her in Greece and internationally;
• Author in >600 abstracts in International Conferences/Congresses and scientific meetings;
• In total, >120 publications in Greek Medical Journals;
• In total, 57 books and 41 chapters in 19 international medical books on Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and Infectious Diseases; 132 chapters in 36 Greek medical books; editor in 4 Greek medical books; and chapters in 2 Medical Guidebooks on “Rational Use of Antibiotics for the Hospitalized Patient”, published by the Hellenic Society of Chemotherapy (2 editions: 2017 and 2022);
• In total, 155 Doctoral Theses (Athens University Medical School);
• In total, >500 abstracts presented at conferences/congresses and scientific meetings in Greece;
• Participation in >300 Greek and international conferences with lectures (>100 lectures and talks internationally and ~200 lectures in Greece).

Antibiotics is pleased to announce a Special Issue honoring Professor Helen Giamarellou for her outstanding contributions to the knowledge of antimicrobial resistance and difficult-to-treat resistance pathogens. This Special Issue is dedicated to all aspects of antibiotic resistance in, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Antibiotic stewardship;
• Nosocomial infections;
• Infection control;
• Epidemiology of resistance plus in vitro investigation of underlying resistance mechanisms;
• Infections in the ICU;
• Neutropenic host infections;
• Indicated therapeutic approach of MDR and XDR Gram-negative infections;
• Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of newer antimicrobial agents.

We are pleased to invite you to submit a manuscript to this Special Issue; regular articles, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Konstantinos Pontikis
Guest Editor

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