Georgina Xanthou, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens. She received her bachelor’s degree in the Department of Biology and her PhD in immunology at the Medical School of the University of Athens. Dr. Xanthou performed her postdoctoral studies at the Leukocyte Biology Section in Imperial College, London, and her research is focused on understanding the mechanisms that govern immune regulation in immune-mediated and neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, she investigates the effects of activin-A on the differentiation and suppressive functions of immunoregulatory T cell subsets. Her studies aim to identify novel immunosuppressive agents that can control detrimental inflammatory processes in autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, critical for the design of effective immunotherapies.

For her studies, Dr. Xanthou has received numerous prestigious awards, including the European Molecular Biology Organization fellowship in 2004, the Allergopharma Award in 2008, the Best Female Scientist UNESCO-L’Oreal Award in 2009, the Romain Pauwels Research Excellence Award in 2009, the J.S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation Award in 2011, and the European Federation of Immunological Societies Award in 2012.