Sophie Visvikis-Siest, PhD
Sophie Visvikis-Siest, PhD, was born in Athens, Greece on June 29th, 1958. She obtained a diploma of Biology at the University of Athens (Greece). She received a master on Biochemistry, Pharmacology before obtaining a Ph.D on Genetic Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Nancy. She is researcher at the Institute of National Health and Medical Research (INSERM) from 1989 and in 2001 became Director of Research. From 1999, she has the direction of an INSERM research team in Nancy “Gene Environment Interactions and Cardiovascular Diseases” currently named: “Cardiovascular Genetics-CIC 9501”. From January 2009, she is director of a University team.
Dr Sophie Visvikis-Siest’s main research interests are in the domain of Cardiovascular diseases, Genetic epidemiology, Pharmacogenetics, Inflammation. In early studies, she investigated Gene Expression in Lymphocytes. Most of her publications are based on these topics.
She has published more than 200 papers in international scientific committee journals and gave 60 conferences under invitation. She is Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Hypertension from December 2006.
Dr Sophie Visvikis-Siest participates in various French and International Societies of Genetics and Atherosclerosis. She has consultants and grants activities for Public and Private Companies such as Center of Preventive Medicine for 20 years, GlaxoSmithKline (Italy), Servier (France), Roche molecular systems (Alameda, USA), Randox (Belfast, UK), Biologie Prospective (France). She has a long studying research experience in acquisition and successful execution of public, academic, industrial and EC founded projects such as: EARS, European Atherosclerosis Research Study ; ApoEUROPE, BIOMED2 ; Interreg IIIA « Pôle de Prévention Cardiovasculaire Transfrontalier: un Réseau d’Etudes et d’Actions Communes de Prévention Cardiovasculaire » ; Ingenious HyperCare, NoE. She participates in BBMRI (Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure) European Biobanking initiative and is one of the pioneer in Biobanking founded by INSERM and ANR in France. She is the scientific director of the STANISLAS Cohort (more than 1000 families followed for 15 years). Besides her research activities, she is teaching Genetic Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases.
She is also involved in the Scientific Organization of several Congresses, Meetings and Courses, in France and abroad and also Responsible with G. Siest of her own Meetings named “Santorini Conferences” held every 2 years since 2002 in the domain of Genetics, Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics.