NEUROGENETICS UNIT

NEUROGENETICS UNIT

Greece is a country characterized by relative genetic isolation. This is a result of particular geographic, economic, religious and cultural parameters. The study and prevention of genetic disorders constitutes, therefore, a major aspect of comprehensive health care in our country.

The genetics of neurological disorders were first systematically studied in Greece in 1974 at the 1^st Department of Neurology, University of Athens, by the late Professor Demetris Vassilopoulos.  In 1992, with funding secured through research programs, the “Neurogenetics Unit” was founded at Eginition Hospital. The unit was structured according to international guidelines on the formation of ‘genetic units’ and was armed with the necessary technological infrastructure for the study of DNA using molecular biological techniques. 

The Neurogenetics Unit is divided into a clinical genetics service, including a specialist neurogenetics outpatient clinic, and a molecular genetics service, consisting of a neurogenetics laboratory developed for the molecular study of DNA. The Neurogenetics Unit achieves its goals through the close collaboration of these distinct but intertwined services, which strive towards the establishment of a final diagnosis and the provision of comprehensive genetic counselling.

Beyond the clinical and molecular diagnostic service, the Neurogenetics Unit is actively involved in specialized applied neurogenetics research and also provides important educational activities at an undergraduate and postgraduate level.

The unit caters for the needs of patients with neurogenetic disorders from all regions of Greece and is officially registered at a national level at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and at a European level at the internet portal for rare diseases and orphan drugs (ORPHANET).

Ethics

All ethical issues raised by the study and documentation of individual genetic data in patients at-risk of or suffering from rare neurogenetic disorders concern the clinical and laboratory geneticist, who is fully aware of the serious complications associated with the discovery of an inherited neurogenetic condition by individuals that were previously often completely unsuspecting.

Confidentiality is a basic rule of medical ethics. In the Neurogenetics Unit personal and sensitive data storage takes place both in traditional paper form and in electronic form. Such confidential data are accessible only to a very limited number of health care professionals. Anonymized data are only provided to research collaborators for strictly scientific reasons, following special permission and patient consent. 

Co-heads of the Neurogenetics Unit:

• Georgia Karadima, Assistant Professor of biology and neurogenetics  (head  of the  neurogenetics laboratory)
• Georgios Koutsis, Assistant Professor of neurology and neurogenetics (head  of the neurogenetics oupatient clinic)

Scientific advisor:

• Marios Panas, former Associate Professor neurology and neurogenetics

Research fellow:

Aristeidou Stavroula, Neurologist

Chrysa Koniari, Neurologist

Doctoral candidates:

Chrisoula Kartanou, Biologist, MSc

Zoe Kontogeorgiou, Biologist, MSc

Diploma students:

Postgraduate level:

Alefanti Ioanna, MD

Voudomatis Harrys, Biologist

Papagiannopoulou Georgia, MD, resident in neurology

Pomoni Stella, Biologist

Sotiria Legaki, Nurse (BSc)

Contact:

Responsible for  information & appointments: Manesi Amalia, Financial and administrative scientist

From Mondays to Fridays, times 10:00a.m. - 14:00 p.m.

Τel 210 7289118,288

mobile: 6907563407

email: gkaradim@med.uoa.gr; gkoutsis@med.uoa.gr