Sofia Giatrakou was born in Boston, USA, but has spent most of her life in Greece. She is a dermatologist and venereologist, and a consultant at the General State Hospital of Athens ‘G. Gennimatas’, holds a PhD from the University of Athens, is a researcher and scientific associate at the ‘Attikon’ University Hospital, and is a member of the medical associations of the USA and the UK.
Following her graduation from medical school, she had her medical degree and postgraduate qualification recognised in the USA. She worked as a researcher in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, USA (certificate), as well as in Florida, USA (Department of Emergency Medicine, Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital, Tarpon Springs, Florida – USA).
On her return to Greece, she worked at the ‘Evangelismos’ Hospital and completed her specialisation in Dermatology and Venereology at the ‘Attikon’ General University Hospital.
Latter, she completed her PhD, specialising in skin infections, and worked as a researcher whilst collaborating with the clinical and research team led by E. Giamarellos (Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, 2nd University Clinic – ATTIKON). She then returned to the USA and specialised in aesthetic and clinical dermatology (Dermatology Programme – New York University School of Medicine, USA).
She also completed a second specialisation in the USA in surgical dermatology (Fellow in the Surgical Dermatology Programme in MOHS & Laser Surgery, Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery, L. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA). She currently works as a Dermatologist and Venereologist at the Gennimatas General Hospital. She is in charge of the clinic for the screening of moles (skin nevi), skin tumours and melanoma, as the department serves as a melanoma referral centre for Greece. She has published more than 10 medical articles in international journals, given 30 presentations, participated in 60 international conferences, and contributed to 10 research protocols.