Prof. Dr. Themis Mantzavinos

Dr Mantzavinos, graduated from the Medical School of the University of Athens and he completed his residency in the 2^nd Department of Obstetric and Gynecology of the University of Athens in Aretaieio Hospital.

In 1977, he became a lecturer at the University of Athens and by 1996 he was promoted to associate professor.

From 1981 until 1984, he specialized in Assisted Reproduction at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk Virginia, USA under the supervision of Professors Howard Jones and Georgana Jones. Dr Howard Jones and Dr Georgiana Jones held the position of professors in gynecology and gynecologic endocrinology respectively for 25 years at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was honored and privileged to participate in the team who achieved the first IVF pregnancy and delivered the first IVF baby, Elizabeth Carr, in the USA.

In 2001, he resigned from his position at the University, 15 years prior to his retirement, so he would be able to dedicate his time completely in the field of IVF.

In 1986, he started the IVF unit in the maternity hospital Mitera. The first child from this program was born in 1987. In 1988, the first child was born in Greece with the use of a donor egg from a mother with premature menopause.

In 1989, he established the IVF unit Euromedica with Dr Kanakas, who obtained his PhD at the University of Heidelberg. The result of this collaboration was the birth of 4,000 children.

In 1997, he was the founder as well as the director of the IVF unit in Aretaieio Hospital.

In 2001, after reaching the pivotal point of 2000 births occurring from the IVF program Dr T. Mantzavinos, Dr H. Jones and Dr N. Kanakas were awarded with the Gold Metal of the City of Athens from the City’s Mayor for their contribution to the sciences and humanity.

In 2004 he was elected President of the Panhellenic Society of Phycisians of Assisted Reproduction, a position that he still holds.

In 2006, Prof. Mantzavinos became a member of the Independent National Committee for Assisted Reproduction, position that was renewed in December 2009.

In 2007, he was elected a member at the Board of Directors (the first one who was not a naturalized citizen) of Jones Institute Foundation in Reproductive Medicine, in Norforlk, Virginia, USA.

As a result of his research, Prof. T. Mantzavinos and his collaborators have published 360 scientific papers in International and Greek Journals as well as International and Greek Medical Conferences.

He still participates in the research projects of the 2^nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Athens (Director: Prof. Georgios Kreatsas) He is also involved in the postgraduate training of physicians and he is the supervisor of PhD students.

In addition, he gives lectures at the Law School of the University of Athens (Director: Prof. Miranta Klamari) in a postgraduate course dealing with the legal issues that may arise from the implementation of modern methods of Assisted Reproduction.