Dr Zenia Saridaki

President of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Society of Medical Oncology (HeSMO) (2nd term 2023-2025)

Director of Medical Oncologist, 1st Oncology Department of the Athens Metropolitan Hospital and Scientific Director of the Oncology Department of “ASKLEPIOS Diagnosis” – “Asklepeion” Clinic in Crete, Heraklion Crete (private sector).

Professional career and awards

• She has served multiple times on the board of directors of the Hellenic Society of Medical Oncology (HESMO), first elected in 2013 and re-elected for six consecutive terms. She served in various leadership roles, including special secretary and vice president, before becoming the first woman and youngest president of the board in 2021. She was re-elected chairman for a second term in 2023 (2023-2025).
  
• In 2024, she was appointed Chairwoman of the Working Group on the Establishment of the National Cancer Registry and became a member of the unpaid E.O.P.Y.Y. Electronic Pre-Approval System Review Committee, both functions assigned by the Minister of Health. Since 2012, she has been scientific director of the Oncology Department at “Asklipios Diagnosis” and an associate at the private clinic “Asklipieion of Crete” in Heraklion.
  
• Elected as the first woman and youngest president of the board of directors of the Hellenic Society of Medical Oncology (HESMO) in 2021, serving in a historic leadership role.
  
• Re-elected as HESMO board president for a second term (2023-2025), after serving six consecutive terms on the HESMO board since 2013.
  
• Since 2013, she held various leadership positions at HESMO, including special secretary and vice president, before becoming chairman.
  
• In 2024, she was appointed head of the working group for the establishment of the National Cancer Registry.
  
• Since 2012, scientific director of the oncology department at “Asklipios Diagnosis” and associate of the private clinic “Asklipieion of Crete” in Heraklion, Crete.

Participation in national and international oncology associations and networks

• Active participation in several prestigious oncology societies:
  
• Joining the ASCO Global Guidelines Advisory Group in 2024.
  
• Appointed to the ASCO Regional Council for Central and Eastern Europe, representing Greece (2023).
  
• Representing Greece on the ESMO National Societies Committee from 2022.
  
• Co-coordinator of the GI Group and member of the scientific committee of the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG) since 2017.
  
• Co-founder of “Women in Oncology – W4O Hellas” in 2014 and member of the Coordinating Committee since then.
  
• From 2014 to 2017, she served as deputy editor-in-chief of Forum of Clinical Oncology (the English journal of HESMO).

Long-term membership in key associations:

• European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) since 2010.
  
• American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) since 2008.
  
• Hellenic Society for Medical Oncology (HESMO) since 2008.
  
• Greek Young Oncologists Group (ONEO) since 2014.

Publications AND Conferences

• Authorship includes 83 articles as author or co-author in cited peer-reviewed scientific journals, 56 of which are scientific publications in international journals, and co-authorship of 3 scientific books. Participation in more than 60 national and international conferences as organizer or co-organizer, including as chairman in more than 10 of them. Delivered invited lectures at more than 200 national and international conferences. Delivered more than 150 lectures and roundtable discussions at national and international conferences. Delivered more than 100 oral and poster presentations at prestigious conferences around the world. Chair of the Organizing Committee of the annual HESMO Panhellenic Conferences (2022, 2023, 2024), with the upcoming 2025 conference to be held during the current Board Presidency.

Education – Specialization – Research

• Extensive academic and clinical training includes a medical degree from the University of Crete (1997), followed by a PhD with honors in 2002, Focusing on genetic analysis of microsatellite DNA in skin cancer. He specialized in medical oncology at the University General Hospital of Heraklion (PaGNI), completing a 6-year program in 2007. Research work was conducted at prestigious institutions, including a full-time position at the Center for Human Genetics at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (2010-2011), under the supervision of Professor Sabine Tejpar, with a special focus on gastrointestinal oncology. In addition, she gained research experience at Oxford University in 2007, working in the Medical Oncology Unit of Churchill and John Radcliffe Hospitals and in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Radcliffe Infirmary under the supervision of Professor David J. Kerr. During this period, he obtained European certification in medical oncology through the ESMO exam (2007-2012).
  
• Research roles also included co-researching clinical trials and conducting postdoctoral research in cancer biology at PaGNI. International collaborations include working as a visiting researcher in the Genomic Instability Group at the Roy Castle International Center for Lung Cancer Research in Liverpool, UK, and participating in ERASMUS exchange programs in Belgium and France during his undergraduate studies. Academic positions include serving as an unpaid research associate at Heraklion University General Hospital since 2012, and additional postdoctoral work at the University of Crete Cancer Biology Laboratory (2007-2014).
  
• Honors include a Hellenic Society of Medical Oncology research fellowship (2010) and leadership in various oncology research programs.
  
• Earned a medical degree from the University of Crete (1997) and a PhD with honors (2002), focusing on genetic analysis of microsatellite DNA sequences in skin cancer. He completed a six-year specialization in medical oncology at the University General Hospital of Heraklion (PaGNI) in 2007, followed by European certification in medical oncology (ESMO exams, 2007-2012).
  
• He held a full-time position at the Center for Human Genetics at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (2010-2011) and served as a visiting scholar at Oxford University (2007).
  
• Research roles have included co-leadership of clinical trials and cancer biology research at PaGNI, and serving as a visiting researcher at the Roy Castle International Center for Lung Cancer Research.
  
• Academic functions as an unpaid research associate at PaGNI since 2012 and post-doctoral work at the Laboratory of Cancer Biology at the University of Crete (2007-2014).
  
• Research fellowship awarded by the Hellenic Society of Medical Oncology (HESMO, 2010) and conducting various oncology research programs.