Lecture
Prof. Dr Stylianos Antonarakis | Genome; chance and environment
Lecture cycle: Renowned Greek Scientists
Sunday 11.02.2018 – 5pm | Lausanne
Hotel Continental | Place de la Gare 2
Biography
Stylianos E. Antonarakis is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Genetic Medicine and Development at the Medical School at the University of Geneva, and co-founder of the iGE3 Institute of Genetics and Genomics (Geneva). In addition, he is the President Emeritus of the Human Genome Organization since 2013, chair of the Genetics panel of the European Research Council and member of the scientific council of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). He was also the President of the European Society of Human Genetics for the period 2001-2002.
He obtained his bachelor degree in medicine in 1975 and his DSc in 1982 from the University of Athens, Greece. After a specialization in Pediatrics in the University Hospital of Athens, Greece, he moved to the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, where he joined the faculty in 1983 and was appointed as full professor of Pediatric Genetics, Biology and Medicine in 1990. In 1992, he moved to Switzerland as ordinary professor at the Genetic Medicine and Microbiology of the University of Geneva.
His research focuses on the relationship between genomic and phenotypic variations, and in particular on:
- the functional analysis of the genome,
- the effect of human genetic variation on phenotypic variation,
- the molecular pathogenesis of trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and polygenic phenotypes,
- the functional characterization of the conserved fraction of the genome,
- the diagnostics and prevention of genetic disorders, and
- the social implications of genetics and genome research.
He has published more than 660 scientific papers, and he is listed as one of the highly cited scientists by the Institute of Scientific Information (h-index 94). He is co-editor of the current edition of the classic textbook Genetics in Medicine and reviewer at journals, such as Annual Review of Genetics, Genetics and Genome Research and eLife.
He has obtained numerous scientific awards, and in 2017, he was named honorary member of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences. He is the originator of the World Down Syndrome Day, celebrated each year on March, 21.
Listen to the farewell lecture of Dr Antonarakis on November 2, 2017 at the University of Geneva.
