Cochrane Athens is a national hub for evidence synthesis, Cochrane methodology, training and knowledge translation. We support the production and use of high-quality evidence to improve clinical practice, research, patient-centred care, guideline development and health policy in Greece and internationally.
Our mission is to embed Cochrane methodology in postgraduate education, scale national systematic review capacity, establish structured processes for the conduct of systematic reviews, and institutionalize knowledge translation pathways linking review outputs with clinical and policy decision-makers.
About us
The reason for Cochrane Athens
Evidence-based medicine training is mainly delivered through undergraduate and postgraduate medical curricula, with limited formal integration of Cochrane methodology. Knowledge translation mechanisms remain underdeveloped: systematic review findings often fail to reach clinicians in actionable formats, and structured links between evidence producers and health policy stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health and national guideline panels, need strengthening.
Because systematic review capacity and policy-making hubs are highly centralized in Athens, Cochrane Athens can function as a national coordination hub, embedding Cochrane standards into training programs, strengthening knowledge translation to policy-makers and clinicians, and promoting alignment with international best practice. The longer-term aim is to connect more centers and groups across Greece and, where appropriate, internationally.
Host institution
The host institution is the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the largest and most influential university in Greece, and its Medical School is the first established in the country.
Meet the team
Professor Charalampos Siristatidis - Director
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Reproductive Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Professor Siristatidis has extensive experience in Cochrane systematic reviews and is highly familiar with Cochrane methodology, having authored multiple Cochrane systematic reviews over the course of his career. He has served as a member of the Gynecology and Fertility Group Editorial Board and as Associate Editor of Cochrane Clinical Answers. He has been the principal organizer and director of multiple Cochrane Workshops in Athens since 2011, with an international audience.
Professor Theodoros N. Sergentanis - Deputy Director
Associate Professor of Epidemiology – Research Methodology, Department of Public Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece.
Professor Sergentanis is the Co-Director of the Joanna Briggs Institute University of West Attica Evidence-Based Healthcare Centre. He has extensive experience in Cochrane systematic reviews and is highly familiar with Cochrane methodology. He has been a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology since 2021.
Dr Michail Papapanou - Administrator
PhD Candidate, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Dr Papapanou supports the coordination of research activities and project execution, including planning, documenting, reporting and ensuring the efficient operation of Cochrane-related activities. He has authored several Cochrane Reviews and participates in numerous ongoing Cochrane projects.
Core members
The remaining core members range from medical students and early-career researchers to experienced professors in Greek universities and international institutions. Most of them have extensive knowledge on systematic literature searches, data extraction, reference management, and screening processes for Cochrane and non-Cochrane systematic reviews. Their responsibilities include designing and executing detailed search strategies across multiple databases, managing citations, supporting screening, and ensuring that review processes are aligned with Cochrane methodology, while conducting reviews.
Our work
Cochrane Athens will act as a methodological and applied evidence synthesis hub, producing all kinds of Cochrane reviews, conducting methodological research, and translating knowledge into practice.
Cochrane Athens members have produced the following work up to date:
Education and training
Training mission
Cochrane Athens supports students, researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, policy-makers, guideline developers, patients and patient representatives in understanding, producing and using trustworthy health evidence.
Training formats
To support this mission, we aim to conduct annual Cochrane methodology workshops, online seminars, university-based training, and training sessions for scientific societies and organizations, including mentorship with other Cochrane Groups.
Activities
- July 2026, Cochrane Athens launch event (programme [PDF])
Contact us
If you are a researcher or writer, a healthcare professional, a student, a patient or carer, or a policy-maker or guideline developer, and you are interested in getting involved, please get in touch.
