Photis Beris is an important piece in the puzzle of the greek society in Geneva. He is a Professor of Haematology in Geneva Medical School, and was Head of the Department of Haematology-Unilabs group, Geneva (1994-2009). His research interests focus on Thallassemias, Hemoglobinopathies, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Hemopoiesis-Erythropoiesis, Sideroblastic anemia, Iron metabolism and hepcidin.

He was born on the 4^th of May, 1950, in Athens. He studied in Athens Medical School, where he got his MD in 1975. In 1978, he got his Ph.D. in Medicine, in Geneva Medical School, in Switzerland (he did his thesis for the degree of Doctor of Medicine working on thyroid hormones, with Prof. Albert Burger). Beris did his post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and Haematology in Geneva-Switzerland. He later received a scholarship from the University Hospital of Geneva to study molecular biology of hemoglobinopathies and thalassemia syndromes in the United States, under the direction of Professor Titus Huissman in Augusta-Georgia.

He was appointed successively to Geneva’s University Hospital as Chief Resident, Senior Chief Resident, and from 1994 until 2009 as Associate Medical Director of the Haematology Service Geneva University Hospital.

At the same time he was appointed head of the Clinical Haematology Unit and head of the Central Laboratory of Haematology and of the Special Haematology Laboratory at the Geneva University Hospital.

In this last laboratory he created the diagnostic centre of hemoglobinopathies and thalassemia syndromes. This laboratory led to the discovery of ten new mutations leading to thalassemia or new alpha and beta haemoglobin variants.

In 1994 he had his first academic title of Privat Docent, and in 2000 he was appointed Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Geneva University and in 2005 he was promoted to Associate Professor of Haematology (Department of Internal Medicine).

In November 2009 he was elected Professor of Haematology at the Medical School of Athens, National University of Athens-Greece and Director of the Haematology Clinic at Laikon University Hospital, Athens-Greece and Director of the University Laboratory of Molecular Haematology.

For family reasons he returned back to Geneva on January 1st 2011 and joined the group Unilabs as the head of the department of Haematology of the group. At the same time he continues his academic career as associate Professor of Haematology in the University of Geneva (teaching haematology and research in iron metabolism). He speaks three languages: Greek, French and English.