About us
Who we are?
The Santorini Conferences Association (a non-profit society – law 1901) was created at the end of 2019 on the initiative and Presidency of Sofia Siest in order to:
- Officialise the Santorini Conferences meetings
- Promote and support consortia creation
- Disseminate scientific information
- Facilitate collaborations between academia and industry
- Initiate additional Conferences meetings
- Provide advisory support for grant applications
- Provide support for post- docs and PhD studentsā placements
Board Members
Founder and President
Dr Sofia Siest
Director of Research in INSERM for 24 years, President of the Santorini Conferences Association (SCs) and of the āSantorini Conferences seriesā, Founder & Coordinator of the VEGF Consortium, Bernecourt, FranceGeneral Secretary
Prof. Stavroula Kanoni
Associate Professor in Nutrigenetics and Cardiovascular Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
Scientific advisor in clinical aspects
Prof. Georges Weryha
MD, Professor Endocrinology, CHRU, Nancy, FranceAdvisor for pharmacovigilance
Mr. Michael Marschler
Henstedt-Ulzburg, GermanyPharmacogenomics advisor
Prof. Alexander C. Haushofer
MD, Head of the "Institut fĆ¼r Medizinische und Chemische Labordiagnostik/Central Laboratoryā, Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen, Upper Austria, Austria, Past President of the Austrian Society for Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Chemistry ā ĆGLMKC, Wels, AustriaDiagnostics representative
Dr. John Lamont
Chief Scientist at Randox and also a Senior Manager, Antrim, United KingdomObjectives
šÆ The Association is dedicated to advancing education and research in personalized medicine and pharmacogenomics, with a focus on potential biomarkers and clinical and environmental phenotypes. Key areas of interest include smoking cessation, nutrition, physical exercise, sports, pain management, and other health-related factors. The ultimate goal is to produce high-quality, validated scientific information for use in clinical and post-marketing applications that benefit both healthcare professionals and patients.
š¹ Our Key Objectives
š Promote Collaboration
Facilitate interactions among researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders who share a common interest in personalized medicine and pharmacogenomics.
š¬ Advance Multidisciplinary Research
Integrate fundamental multidisciplinary approaches into research projects and support their translation into clinical applications.
š Enhance Education & Training
Provide training and education for healthcare professionals and the general public in human pharmacogenetics, clinical pharmacology, clinical pathology, and personalized medicine.
š¢ Support Scientific Dissemination
Organize, co-organize, and support scientific meetings, symposia, conferences, and educational programs to foster knowledge-sharing and promote clinical best practices.
š Major Initiatives
šļø The Santorini Conference
A cornerstone of the Associationās activities, the biennial Santorini Conference serves as a premier scientific gathering. During this event, the General Assembly convenes to discuss progress, set new objectives, and strengthen collaborations.
š Scientific & Research Contributions
The Association will actively participate in:
ā
Grant applications, clinical trials, multi-center studies, and biomarker evaluations
ā
Providing independent expert advice in areas relevant to personalized medicine and pharmacogenomics
ā
Publishing conference programs, abstracts, and scientific reports to facilitate the broad dissemination of knowledge
š Commitment to Excellence
As a general principle, the Association will engage in any activities that contribute to the achievement of its mission, ensuring continuous progress in the field of personalized medicine and pharmacogenomics.
Activities
- Promote education and research in personalised medicine and pharmacogenomics based on potential biomarkers and clinical and environmental phenotypes (in fields related to smoking, nutrition, physical exercise, sport,Ā pain, etc.) to produce verified, quality information forĀ clinicalĀ and post-marketingĀ applications and patients; the activities and management of Biological Resource Centres fallĀ as wellĀ within the scope of this objective.
- Facilitate contacts between all those who share the Associationās objectives:
- Incorporate fundamental multidisciplinary approaches in research projects and transform such projects into clinical advances, by training and educating both health professionals and the general public in the fields of human pharmacogenetics, clinical pharmacology, clinical pathology and personalised medicine.
To achieve the objectives, the Association organises, co-organises and supports meetings, symposia, conferences and other scientific gatherings and educational programmes, to produce information to be used in clinical practice and provided to patients in the fields of personalised medicine, pharmacogenomics and personalised therapy based on potential biomarkers, environmental factors and clinical metrics.
The major eventĀ will be the congress of the Santorini Conferences, held every two years. This year is theĀ 24nd Anniversary of this Conference and will be held in Santorini, May 26-29, 2026
Further initiatives contributing to the goals of the Association may also be undertaken, such as taking part in grant applications, clinical trials, multicentre trials and biomarker assessments, drafting and providing independent expert opinions in the areas of interest of the Association.
The Association will publish the programmes of its congresses and abstracts of communications.
As a general rule, the Association may initiate any course of action that facilitates the fulfilment of its objectives.