CV

Education and Career

I was born in Larisa in 1974. I completed my high school studies in 1992 and entered the Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki after passing the entrance exams in 1993. I graduated from Medical School in July 1999. During my undergraduate studies, I took part in exams of the Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki twice and successfully obtained training in two foreign countries through the student exchange programs of HelMSIC.

Specifically, in 1996, I attended an educational program at the Surgical Department of the “Albert Szent-Györgyi” University in Szeged, Hungary, under the supervision of Professor Ádám Balogh. The program included theoretical lessons, observation and participation in surgical operations, endoscopic procedures of the gastrointestinal system, and educational visits to patient wards.

In 1999, after completing my studies at the Medical School, I attended an educational program at the Gastroenterology/Hepatology Department of the “La Sapienza” University in Rome, Italy, under the guidance of Professors Livio Capocaccia and Francesco Adolfo Attili (gastroenterologists). The program included theoretical lessons, educational visits to patient wards, practical skill acquisition, observation of endoscopic procedures in the gastrointestinal system, and hepatological ultrasound examinations.

Additionally, during my studies at the Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, I attended a course on cardiopulmonary resuscitation organized by the Emergency Medical Service (EKAB) in Thessaloniki.

Since 1999, prior to my graduation from Medical School, I began working with Professor Jannis Kountouras, a gastroenterologist. I participated in the Endoscopy Laboratory program of the Second Medical Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, taking part in the educational and research activities of the laboratory. My first complete publication in a journal was in the Hellenic Journal of Gastroenterology in the same year, which presented an interesting case.

From September to November 1999, I completed a three-month internship in the specialties of Pathology, Surgery, and Cardiology at the General Regional Hospital of Larissa. Subsequently, I held a paid position as a rural health service doctor at the Health Center of Gonnoi Larissa for one year, until December 2000. During my rural service, I conducted epidemiological studies in pediatric populations in collaboration with pediatrician Dr. Dimitra Vini, which were presented at medical conferences and published in general medical and pediatric journals.

Simultaneously, I continued my research collaboration with the Gastroenterology Laboratory of the Second Medical Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. This collaboration led to the world’s first announcement and subsequent publication of the correlation between Helicobacter pylori of the antrum and open-angle glaucoma in 2000.

In March 2001, I was joined the Greek Army and completed my military service as a doctor in units in Mytilene and Larisa over 16 months. During my service, I participated in studies that were presented at the Panhellenic Medical Congress of the Armed Forces.

Following the guidance and unwavering support of Professor Kountouras, in 2002, I attended a three-month postgraduate program at the Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine in London, under the supervision of Senior Reader Peter Karayiannis. Specifically, I focused on molecular biology techniques related to the quasispecies of hepatitis C virus, particularly the IRES region. The techniques included PCR, DNA gel extraction and purification, ligation, transformation, culture growth, digest, sequencing, and luciferase assay. I also attended scientific lectures and educational visits to patients at the Liver Unit of St. Mary’s Hospital in London, under the direction of Professor Howard C. Thomas, a hepatologist.

From March 2003 to December 2004, I worked as a medical trainee in the Internal Medicine/Clinical Oncology department of the Third Medical Clinic at “Theagenio” Cancer Hospital in Thessaloniki under the direction of Dr. Despina Mouratidou, gaining experience in gastrointestinal oncology. My research activities were highlighted by my participation in several research projects, one of which received the 1st Prize at the 5th International Congress of Complementary Therapy for Malignant Melanoma. An expert committee selected the two best works, followed by the choice of the best one by public vote, based on the oral presentation of the studies. A special mention was made for the awarded work, which I presented orally, in a relevant editorial of the Melanoma Research journal, where it was later published in full.

During my tenure at Theagenio Hospital in Thessaloniki, I participated in a global multicenter Phase III research protocol. Additionally, in October 2003, I was involved in editing the proceedings of the 3rd Seminar on Clinical Oncology, organized by the medical clinic in Thessaloniki.

In April 2003, I completed training in Basic Life Support and Automated External Defibrillation organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in collaboration with the 1st Regional Health Authority of Central Macedonia (Thessaloniki), obtaining the Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Certificate and Automated External Defibrillation (AED) Provider Certificate from the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) in Brussels.

In June 2004, my doctoral thesis was approved by the Internal Medicine Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with the title: “Molecular and genetic factors of the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and glaucoma” (thesis number: 2451). Following the oral examination, as required by law, I received my doctoral degree with a grade of “Excellent” on November 10, 2010, and I was awarded the title of Doctor of the School of Medicine at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki on November 29, 2010.

From January 2005 to November 2006, I served as an unpaid scientific collaborator in the Second Medical Department of Ippokration Hospital of Thessaloniki, under the supervision of Professor of Gastroenterology Jannis Kountouras. During this period, I actively participated in all clinic activities, including patient consultations, endoscopies, outpatient clinics, article writing, oral presentations at conferences, involvement in the training of gastroenterology specialists, and the collection of material for my doctoral thesis.

From 2005 to 2009, I was a member of the Editorial Board of the international journal Hepatogastroenterology.

In October 2005, I actively participated in the inaugural meeting of the European Viral Hepatitis Initiative (EVHEI) Faculty organized by Imperial College of London, under the presidency of Professor of Hepatology Howard C. Thomas.

In 2006, I participated as a speaker at the 10th Hungarian and the 1906-2006 Centenary Congress of Alzheimer’s Disease, held at the University of “Albert Szent-Györgyi” in Szeged, Hungary, in celebration of World Alzheimer’s Day, with the topic being “Alzheimer’s disease and Helicobacter pylori infection.”

From November 15, 2006, to November 14, 2010, I worked as a Gastroenterology trainee at the Gastroenterology Department of the University General Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, under the supervision of Professor of Gastroenterology Elias Kouroumalis. During this period, I actively participated in various research projects, some of which were presented at national and international conferences and were nominated for or received awards. In 2009, I received a monetary award (Travel Grant) for presenting a study on osteoporosis in inflammatory bowel disease at the World Congress of Gastroenterology in London. The study was subsequently published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology.

Simultaneously, I continued my research activities at the Second Medical Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, under the supervision of Professor of Gastroenterology Jannis Kountouras. These activities resulted in the publication of studies in reputable scientific journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and Gastroenterology.

In 2007, I was awarded a prize for my life-time research work in the field of Gastroenterology by the Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology.

In 2011, I obtained the specialty title of Gastroenterology (Decision No. 11726/10/22/2011 of the Region of Crete).

From April 2011 for a duration of two years, I served as an unpaid scientific collaborator at the Second Medical Department of Ippokration Hospital in Thessaloniki under the supervision of Professor Jannis Kountouras. This position was granted based on decisions by the Department of Internal Medicine (Decision No. 251/6-4-2011) and the Administrative Board of the School of Medicine at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Decision No. 10/14-4-2011).

From July 2011 to July 2012, I moved to Utrecht, The Netherlands, where I received specialized training in endoscopic techniques at the Gastroenterology Department of the University Medical Center under the guidance of Professor of Gastroenterology Dr. Peter D. Siersema. This training was made possible by a scholarship from the Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology. During my stay in Utrecht, I attended scientific events at the clinic and served as the principal investigator in a research protocol on Barrett’s esophagus. In October 2012, I received a monetary award (Travel Grant) for presenting a study at the European Gastroenterology Congress in Amsterdam. One of the two studies I presented received the distinction of Poster of Excellence.

In September 2011, I initiated collaboration with the Chinese publishing house STM for the publication of an international scientific journal titled “Immuno-Gastroenterology.” The journal’s first issue was released in July 2012. The journal’s name was my idea, and its topics were developed in collaboration with Professor Jannis Kountouras. We serve as the Editors-in-Chief of the journal, which also features distinguished scientists from around the world as part of its Editorial Board.

In December 2012, I was elected a member of the Board of the Hellenic Society for the Study of Helicobacter pylori and Other Gastrointestinal Infections. During the period 2019-2020, I served as the President of the Hellenic Society for the Study of Helicobacter pylori and Other Gastrointestinal Infections. In November 2020, as the President, I organized the 25th Greek Congress on Helicobacter pylori and other gastrointestinal infections.

Since May 2013, I have been working as a private gastroenterologist in Thessaloniki, receiving patients for examination and endoscopies (gastroscopy, colonoscopy, polypectomy).

I am proficient in the English language (Certificates of Proficiency in English from Michigan University and Cambridge University), have a good command of the Italian language (Diploma di Lingua Italiana), and have a decent knowledge of the Dutch language (Certificates from James Boswell Institute, The Netherlands).

Educational Activities

Since 2003, I have been actively involved in postgraduate courses for medical specialists, postgraduate seminars, Hepatology and Gastroenterology courses, and roundtable discussions at both national and international conferences. In particular, in 2006 and 2008, I participated as a speaker and in the Oral Presentation Panel at international postgraduate courses organized in Athens by the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists, and Oncologists (IASGO). In 2008, I was part of the panel for the Roundtable Discussion on Helicobacter pylori at the IASGO World Congress in Istanbul.

During my tenure at the Gastroenterology Department of the University General Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, for a period of four years, I actively participated in the department’s scientific events. This included presenting interesting cases at the weekly meetings of the Pathology Department at the University of Crete, providing educational courses for the Gastroenterology Department trainees, lecturing the clinical staff of the clinic, conducting literature reviews, participating in research and clinical protocols, organizing regular meetings between the clinic and the Pathology Laboratory, and engaging in discussions with the Radiology Laboratory. Additionally, I was involved in the undergraduate education of medical students in the 6th, 9th, and 12th semesters, specifically in the field of Internal Medicine. I supervised their clinical practice in the hospital wards and delivered theoretical lectures on Gastroenterology for students in the 6th, 9th, and 12th semesters. Furthermore, I contributed to the training of foreign exchange students in the Erasmus program at the Medical School of the University of Crete.

Private Practice (2013-present): How to book an appointment

Dr. Chris Zavos is a board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist, located in Thessaloniki Greece, and specifically in Kalamaria suburb, about 7 kilometres (4 miles) southeast of downtown Thessaloniki. His private office is at: Fanariou 8 street (near Aigaiou and Adrianoupoleos avenues), Kalamari  (Thessaloniki), Greece.

Thessaloniki International Airport is only 10 km away from his private office in Kalamaria and can be reached by taxi within 13 minutes from the airport.

Dr. Chris Zavos performs endoscopies at Bioclinic private hospital in downtown Thessaloniki (Mitropoleos 86 street).

You can contact Dr. Zavos at phone numbers: (+30)-6976596988 and (+30)-2311283833, or you can email him at czavos@ymail.com. Dr. Zavos responds to Greek and English languages.

Research

• Dr. Zavos is ranked as the World’s Top 2% most-cited scientists 2024 by Stanford University
• Papers in PubMed
• Researcher ID profile
• Impact Factor (2019): 1278.269
• Impact Factor (2019) for abstracts: 383.946
• Total Impact Factor (2019): 1662.215
• Citations: 9,988 (5/2023, Scholar Google), 5,906 (3/2022, Scopus), and 5,820 (5/2023, Clarivate Web of Science)
• h-index: 55 (5/2023, Scholar Google), 45 (5/2023, Scopus), 42 (5/2023, Clarivate Web of Science)

Google Scholar

Scopus

Clarivate Web of Science

Editorial Board Member

1. Co-Editor: Hepatogastroenterology (2005-2009)
2. National Editor: Hepatogastroenterology (2005-2009)
3. Ειδικός Συντάκτης (Γαστρεντερολογία): Αρχεία Ελληνικής Ιατρικής (2010-2012)
4. Editor-in-Chief: Immuno-Gastroenterology (2011-2012)
5. Assistant Editor: Annals of Gastroenterology (2011-σήμερα)
6. Section Editor (Gastroenterology and Hepatology): Archives of Medical Science (2018-σήμερα)

Peer-reviewer in Journals and Congresses

1. Haema
2. International Journal of Andrology
3. Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters
4. Archives of Hellenic Medicine
5. Clinical Medicine: Oncology
6. Southern Medical Journal
7. Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases International
8. Journal of Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology Research
9. WebmedCentral
10. Liver Transplantation
11. Gastroenterology Research and Practice
12. Annals of Gastroenterology
13. Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy
14. Journal of Diabetes and Endocrinology
15. Frontline Gastroenterology
16. Journal of Functional Foods
17. The International Journal of Neuroscience
18. Archives of Medical Science
19. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
20. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences
21. Metabolism
22. International Journal of Cancer
23. Case Reports in Gastrointestinal Medicine
24. Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications
25. Biomaterials
26. Journal of Infection and Public Health
27. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
28. Microbial Pathogenesis
29. Heliyon
30. Journal of Investigative Surgery
31. BMC Gastroenterology
32. Hormones
33. Clinical Immunology
34. 14th Congress of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO), Copenhagen 2019 (reviewer of 40 abstracts)
35. International Journal of Cardiology
36. Diagnostics
37. Clinical Medicine Insights: Gastroenterology
38. Gastroenterology Research and Practice
39. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews
40. Case Reports in Gastrointestinal Medicine
41. Saudi Journal of Medicine & Medical Sciences
42. 17th Congress of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO), Vienna 2022 (reviewer of 40 abstracts)
43. BMC Infectious Diseases
44. Scientific Reports
45. Clinical Medicine Insights: Case Reports
46. Journal of Clinical Medicine
47. Microorganisms
48. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
49. Children
50. International Journal of Molecular Sciences
51. Current Obesity Reports

Member of

1. Thessaloniki Medical Association
2. Dutch Medical Association
3. Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology
4. Former President of the Hellenic Helicobacter pylori and Human Microbiota Study Group
5. Hellenic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Study Group

International prizes

1. “John Ioannovits” Award for Best Poster Presentation, 5th International Conference on the Adjuvant Therapy of Malignant Melanoma, Athens 2004
2. Best Greek Researcher 2007, Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology
3. Travel Grant, GASTRO 2009 United European Gastroenterology Week / World Congress of Gastroenterology, London 2009
4. Elsevier, Top Cited Paper 2011
5. Travel Grant, 2012 United European Gastroenterology Week, Amsterdam 2012
6. Clarivate Web of Science Top reviewer in Cross-Field – September 2019
7. Clarivate Web of Science Top reviewer in Clinical Medicine – September 2019
8. World’s Top 2% most-cited scientist 2024, Stanford University

Participation in multicenter protocols

• Phase III Study, L00070 IN 302 P1: “Prospective, randomised phase III trial of I.V. vinflunine plus best supportive care as second line therapy versus best supportive care after a platinum-containing regimen, in patients with advanced transitional cell carcinoma of urothelial tract” (Pierre-Fabre).
• ASTERIX Study: “A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study to assess the prevention of low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) associated gastroduodenal lesions and upper gastrointestinal symptoms in patients taking esomeprazole 20 mg once daily (od) for 26 weeks” (AstraZeneca).

International Faculty Member/Scientific Committee

1. Faculty Member: 14th International Postgraduate Course, 2006 Athens Olympics Surgical – Medical Festival: Advances in the Diagnosis & Management of Abdominal Diseases. International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists (IASGO). Athens, Greece, 7-9 December 2006
2. Faculty Member: 15th International Postgraduate Course of the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists (IASGO) & 1st Course of the International School of Surgical Oncology. Athens, Greece, 13-15 December 2007
3. Faculty Member & International Scientific Committee Member: 18th World Congress of the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists. Current approach to the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal system diseases. Istanbul, Turkey, October 8-11, 2008.
4. Moderator: 3rd Athens Symposium. Gastrointestinal Cancer: Prevention, Recognition & Management. A primer for physicians. Athens Hilton Hotel, Greece, July 8-9, 2016.
5. Moderator: Live Procedure Demonstrations Part V. 5th AISDD – Athens International Symposium on Digestive Diseases, Athens 1-2 July, 2022