Dr Helen Skouteli M.D,PhD is a Paediatric Neurologist with a special interest in neonatal neurology, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and Early Intervention.
Having served as a volunteer at ELEPAP Greece for 35 years she is now the President of the Organisation. Dr Skouteli graduated from the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens where she also presented her thesis and completed her residency in paediatrics in teaching hospitals in Athens. She went on to train as a paediatric neurologist at Hammersmith Hospital in London and at Boston Children’s Hospital.
She has long been in charge of High-Risk Infant Follow-up Clinics in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units of two main private maternity hospitals in Athens. In 2011 she founded the “Marietta Xanthou” babies’ unit in ELEPAP, a unique holistic rehabilitation programme for high-risk babies aged 0 to 2 years and in 2016 an all-inclusive therapeutic and special education day care facility “Theia Lena” for children aged 2-4 years.
Dr Skouteli has been an invited speaker at many conferences and seminars and is a member of many Medical Societies in Greece and abroad. As President of ELEPAP, she was awarded the European Citizen’s Prize by the European Parliament in 2011.
At the 2023 Bright Start Conference she will be speaking about High-risk infants and Early Intervention in ELEPAP Greece.
After a short introduction to babies at increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, Dr Skouteli will explore neuroplasticity in the perinatal period and in early infancy and present the effects of prematurity on brain plasticity. She will then focus on “windows of opportunity” and early intervention best practices that can help babies develop, learn and thrive and their brains to recover and even rewire after an early brain injury. She will conclude by sharing ELEPAP’s holistic model of Early Intervention for Highest-Risk Infants (0-4 years) developed over the course of the last 13 years.
Olga Matsouki, General Secretary of ELEPAP
She is a Business Improvement Consultant, Trainer and Facilitator. A Professional Medical, and Accredited Corporate Coach. A Pharma Liaison,Trainer and Mentor of the Medical Coaching Institute. (MCI)
Since 2013 she aims through training, consulting and coaching programs in supporting the development of individuals and teams in order to improve adaptability, engagement, strengthen adherence and resilience skills and be able to cope with situations or conditions they encounter for the first time.
She has extensive coaching experience in NGO’s, Corporate and Health Care environment, while she is also a Trainer and Facilitator of Business Improvement Programs for Management and Project Teams.
She has been a Trainer of Adherence Skills for HealthCare Professionals and Patients since 2016.
She has experience in organizational management and in working with cultural diversity in the workplace, while she has also served managerial positions in commercial, marketing and sales departments, working for 30 years mostly in multinational Pharmaceutical companies.
She has been a Management Team Member and Member of the Board of Directors of GlaxoSmithKline Pharma Greece for 7 years.
She successfully led the implementation of numerous projects aiming to business and competitiveness improvement, organizational development, restructuring and strategy planning in Europe-wide level.
She is a leader in implementing and coaching a company-wide business Improvement program in 15 European countries.
During her professional carrier, she gained experience and particularities of working in demanding, competitive, multi-cultural and interdisciplinary environments and expertise to exercise her skills in business improvement efficiency, project management, strategic planning and organizational development.
Xenia P. Papastavrou, General Manager of ELEPAP
Xenia P. Papastavrou is the General Manager of ELEPAP. Previously she served as Governor of OPEKA, Greece’s National Social Benefits Organisation, as Quality of Life Secretary of New Democracy and, prior to that, as Head of Development at the Bodossaki Foundation, Greece’s leading privately-owned public benefit organization. She is on the Board of Directors of Greece’s Food Bank, the country’s first institution to exclusively tackle problems of food poverty and food waste.
Her involvement there as a volunteer in 2005 inspired her, six years later, to develop a simple, cost-efficient and sustainable model of food rescue which would go on to become the NGO now known as Boroume, one of Europe’s preeminent food rescue organisations. For 13 years she worked as an editor at Lambrakis Press and as a project manager at the Lambrakis Foundation, and also taught theory of knowledge at Moraitis school after earning an MA from the University of Edinburgh in Philosophy and Ancient Greek and an MSc in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management from the London School of Economics. She is a founding member of the Greek NGO “Library4All”.
Dr Maria Pyrgeli, Pediatric Rehabilitation Physiatrist, MSc, PhD, SFEBPRM – Scientific Director of ELEPAP, Rehabilitation for the Disabled
Dr Maria Pyrgeli graduated the Medical School of Semmelweis University, English- speaking Department, received a Master Degree from the Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in the discipline of “Metabolic Bone Diseases” and awarded a PhD from the Economic Department of University of Macedonia.
She is recertified as a Senior Doctor of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine from the European Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (SFEBPRM) and she has been specialized in Pediatric Rehabilitation and Neurophysiology Studies of children and adolescents.
She has extensive research, writing and educational work as well as active participations in International and National Conferences and she is a member of International and Hellenic Scientific Societies and Committees. Dr Pyrgeli is a founding member and President of the Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation Section of the Hellenic Society of PRM and she has been nominated National Coordinator of the European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD) for Greece.
Stavropoulou Evgenia, Master of Science (MSc) Degree
Ms Stavropoulou Evgenia holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree. “Magistera in sports medicine and physiotherapy” (2009), NoviSad University, SERBIA (D.O.A.T.A.P (32-1436/ 2011) and degree in Physiotherapy (1982), equal of TEI of Athens (1996- University of West Attica). She is a regular member of PSF since 1982.
She has been working at ELEPAP since 1985 until today as a pediatric Physiotherapist, working with c.p children and other neurodevelopmental disorders, as employee in ELEPAP-Rehabilitation of the Disabled, while since 2013 she has been the Head of therapeutic programs of ELEPAP and Chief of physiotherapy (2013-2023).
During all these years she was in continuous training and education and has many Certifications in Physiotherapy Techniques associated mainly in Neurological Pediatric Assessment and Rehabilitation, such as, N.D.T (BOBATH), Advanced Bobath baby course, Myofascial Release Freedom, Feldenkrais method, Constraint Induced Movement Therapy, functional physiotherapy, litegait training and Sensory Integration.
Moreover in 2000 completed her training as a Biofeedback instructor (THESSALONIKI) and set up this department in Elepap.
Furthermore in 2003 after has completed many courses of HALLIWICK CONCEPT- Foundation and ADVANCED course Teaching the Halliwick Concept-in London, set up the department of therapeutic Swimming in ELEPAP, helding in 2007 two Halliwick foundation courses in ELEPAP as a co-lecturer of Mrs Kelsey- responsible IHA lecturer and became Trainee lecturer of HALLIWICK CONCEPT.
Moreover, she has an Academic experience at Bachelor Physiotherapy Programs as a
– Laboratory Collaborator (2001-2009) of TEI of Athens at the laboratory “Special Physical Education”.
– Responsible of clinical practice in ELEPAP for the students of TEI-PADA of Athens since 2013
And for the students of Metropolitan college since 2015.
During her long career she has developed a writing activity and Scientific Work with many presentations at conferences in Greece and Europe.
Georgios Gkrimas, Biomechanist, Head of Gait & Motion Analysis Center in ELEPAP Athens
He has a Bachelor Degree in Physical Therapy from Technical Educational Institute of Athens (2007) and he holds the master title “Biomechanics of Gait & Posture” (2012) from Liverpool John Moores University. He has worked as a Physiotherapist in Rehabilitation Centers, Private Clinics and Sport Clubs. His area of expertise is Posture & Balance, Motion & Gait analysis using three dimensional cameras and gold standard lab equipment. He is also specialized in the assessment of the biomechanical parameters, as well as in the rehabilitation in Virtual Environment with the principles of Virtual Reality Rehabilitation.
He participates actively in conference and seminars both in Greece and abroad. His presentations specifically focus on Gait Analysis, Motion Analysis & Balance. He is a member of European Society for Movement analysis in Adults and Children (ESMAC) and the Local Chair of ESMAC Athens 2023 Annual Meeting. He has been President of Hellenic Scientific Society of Physiotherapy in 2021. He is also a member of Hellenic Society of Biomechanics (HSB) and of PanHellenic Association Physical Therapy (Greece).
Kanaka-Gantenbein Christina, MD, PhD, FMH (CH)
Professor Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein, MD, PhD, FMH (CH), born in Nicosia, Cyprus, is Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology and Director of the First Department of Pediatrics of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the biggest Department of Pediatrics in the biggest children’s Hospital of Greece.
Prof. C. Kanaka-Gantenbein performed her medical studies at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the oldest and most prestigious University in Greece as a top-grade student. As a scholarship recipient of the German Exchange Foundation for Academics (DAAD: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) she trained in Pediatrics in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, then as a recipient of the Papavramides scholarship of the University of Athens, she completed her training in Pediatrics at the University Children’s Hospital in Berne (Kinderklinik des Inselspitals Bern), Switzerland.
After her Specialisation in Paediatrics, she subspecialized in Pediatric Endocrinology in the Kinderklinik des Inselspitals Bern Switzerland under the supervision of the late professors Klaus Zuppinger and Primus Mullis, then as a recipient of the Research Fellowship grant of the European Society for pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) she continued her research and subspecialisation in Hôpital Robert Debré, in Paris, France, under the supervision of professor Paul Czernichow and finally as a consultant at the University Children’s Hospital in Geneva, Switzerland under the supervision of Professor Pierre Sizonenko. She has obtained both the Title of Specialization in Pediatrics in Greece (1991) and the FMH title of Pediatrics with specialization in Pediatric Endocrinology in Switzerland (1996). Upon her return in Athens, she was elected as Assistant Professor for Pediatric Endocrinology and Juvenile Diabetes at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 2004, as Associate Professor in 2011 and as Full Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology in 2016. In June 2018 Professor Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein has been elected Director of the first Department of Pediatrics of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and is now leading the biggest University Children’s Hospital in Greece, deeply interested in providing high standard education to the medical students, to the Fellows and Residents in Pediatrics as well as the best care to the young pediatric patients, continuing her research in pediatric Endocrinology-Diabetology.
She is an active member of the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE). She has held over 500 lectures in several National and International Congresses over the years, has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers in Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology, is a reviewer of several international journals and is an active member of several Endocrine Societies worldwide.