Costas Stefanis
(1928–2016)
Professor of Psychiatry, University of Athens

Professor Costas Stefanis, leader in Greek psychiatry, died in Athens in October 29, 2016.

He graduated in Athens University Medical School in 1953. Then, he moved first to Canada at Mondreal’s MacGill university and then to the USA at the NIMH in Bethesda and Saint Elisabeth’s Hospitals.

He came back to Athens and became director of psychiatric department, Athens University, at Eginition hospital (1970-1996) as well as director of the University Mental Health Research Institute of Athens (1989-2016).

He established new research units on biological level including neurochemistry, neurophysiology, chronobiology, experimental neurobiology but also he established the first open community psychiatry units in Greece.

He has been leader in a variety of international psychiatric organizations such as the World Psychiatric Association and the International Community for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression.

On the political level, Costas Stefanis has been Minister of Health and Welfare (2002–2004) as well as President of Ministers of Health of the European Union.

Professor Stefanis leaved to all of us a vacuum on scientific and personal level. We will do remember him as a very important person for the Greek people and the Greek psychiatry.

Dimitris Ploumpidis
Vassilis Kontaxakis