Sophie Visvikis-Siest was born in Athens, Greece on June 29th, 1958.

Dr Sophie Visvikis-Siest (Sofia Siest) is Director of Research in INSERM, Head of the EA_1122; IGE-PCV (Interactions Gène-Environnement en Physiopathologie Cardio-Vasculaire) - http://ige-pcv.univ-lorraine.fr/en/

Director of the Biological Resources Centre (BRC) IGE-PCV - BB-0033-00051) and Leader of the VEGF Consortium (https://www.santoriniconference.org/)

Her main research interests are in the domain of Public Health, Prevention, Cardio-vascular diseases, Genetic epidemiology, Pharmacogenomics, Inflammation, VEGF-A. Most of her publications are based on these topics.

She is the scientific director of the STANISLAS Cohort origin project based on 1,006 families followed for 15 years (STANISLAS Family Study, SFS - epidemiologie-france.aviesan.fr/catalog/sheet).

She has published more than 390 publications in international scientific committee journals (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8104-8425, Researcher ID:   H-2324-2014 - Publons: https://publons.com/researcher/H-2324-2014/), 2 patents and gave more than 90 international conferences under invitation.

She filed 2 patents:

http://patents.google.com/patent/WO2014006231A1/en

http://patents.google.com/patent/WO2013093091A2/en

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’ (Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France), ‘GlaxoSmithKline’ (Italy), ‘Servier' (France), ‘Roche molecular systems’ (Alameda, USA), ‘Randox’ (Belfast, UK), and ‘Biologie Prospective’ (France).

She has a long-standing research experience in acquisition, management and successful execution of European (funded by EU) and Industrial projects since many years:

- European Atherosclerosis Research Study (EARS II): coordinator of genetic studies;

- ApoEurope - BIOMED 2 (Fourth RTD Framework Programme): coordination;

- NoE - InGenious HyperCare;

- “BioIntelligence”  (industrial project): responsible of two “Work Packages“;

- “MAST4HEALTH”- EU -Call: H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015 (Mastic treatment for Healthyobese with NAFLD diagnosis) – (www. MAST4HEALTH.eu),  2016-2020: responsible of one “Work Package”,  successfully achieved in 2020.

She participates in major Regional and National Projects such as:

- The “TELARTA” (Telomeres and Arterial Aging) project - ANR/AAP Programme de Recherche Translationnelle en Santé, 2014-2017.

- The “CARTAGE” (Innovative and patient-centered strategies in Cardiac and ARTerial AGEing - fhu-cartage.com) project, 2015-2020.

- The “FIGHT-HF” (Fighting Heart - Failure) project - ANR« projet d’Investissement d’avenir»/RHU, 2015-2020.

- The “LUE” (Lorraine Université d’Excellence” - A Global Engineering Initiative) Project - « projet d’Investissement d’avenir»/ISITE (Initiatives-Science - Innovation – Territoires - Economie) with the project “GEENAGE”(Functional Genomic, Epigenomic and ENvironment interplay to IMPACT the understanding, diagnosis and management of healthy and pathological AGEing, 2016-2026.

- The DYLIPIS-AD project "Molecular mechanisms underlying dyslipidemias as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease" financed by the "Fondation Plan Alzheimer", 2019-2021.

She participates in BBMRI (Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure) European Biobanking initiative and is one of the pioneers in Biobanking founded by INSERM and ANR in France.

She is leading the “BioBooK” project - Infrastructure BIOBANQUES/Inserm 2013 « Réseaux thématiques pour les biobanques », 2013-2016.

She has a 20-years’ experience in the prevention field by her involvement in the Center of Preventive Medicine in Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.

Besides her Research activities, she is teaching Genetic Epidemiology of Cardio-vascular Diseases.

She has participated at the 2012-2013 campaign of research entities assessment, organized by AERES, as President of the Committee of Experts. 

She is founder and was Board member of the European Society of Pharmacogenomics and Theranostics (ESPT), 2011-2020 (https://www.esptsociety.eu/).

She is President of the Santorini Conferences Association (SCs).

She is involved in the Scientific Organization of several Congresses, Meetings and Courses, in France and abroad.

She is the President of the “Santorini Conferences” held every 2 years since 2002 in Santorini, Greece, in the field of Genomics, Pharmacogenomics and Personalised Medicine. The next one, The 10th Santorini Conference: SYSTEMS MEDICINE AND PERSONALISED HEALTH & THERAPY – The Odyssey from Hope to Practice: "Patient first–keep Ithaca always in your mind”, which might be held from 28 September to 1 October 2020 in Santorini but due to COVID-19 it is postponed in May 2022 (http://santoriniconference.org/)