Units

Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit

Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit
2nd Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)
“P. & A. Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital
2nd Floor

https://allergy1.gr/
Contact: +30 213 200 9160
email: allergiologiko@aglaiakyriakou.gr

National Health Line (1535)
Appointment Codes:
Initial Consultation: 00181
Follow-up Consultation: 00182

Team:

  • Professor Nikolaos G. Papadopoulos, MD, PhD – Professor of Allergy and Pediatric Allergy, Head of Unit
    Manolis Manousakis, MD – Director, National Health System, Allergist
  • Professor Paraskevi Xepapadaki, MD, PhD – Professor of Pediatrics – Allergy, Head of the Respiratory Diagnostics Laboratory
  • Eleni Anastasiou, MD – Allergist, Consultant

Supported by a specialized team of experienced nursing and administrative staff.

The Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit of the 2nd Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), based at the “P. & A. Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital, is the largest pediatric allergy center in Greece and one of the most distinguished in Europe. With over 30 years of experience and more than 5,000 pediatric patients served annually, the Unit provides comprehensive care for the full spectrum of allergic and immunologic diseases in childhood.

Recognized as a World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence, it is also an active member of the European GA²LEN Network, UCARE, ADCARE, and the NORA (Network for Online-Registration of Anaphylaxis).

The Unit hosts specialized outpatient clinics for:

  • Respiratory Allergy
  • Food Allergy
  • Drug Allergy
  • Atopic Dermatitis and Urticaria
  • Allergen Immunotherapy
  • Hereditary Angioedema, with a dedicated patient support line

Equipped with full diagnostic capabilities, utilizes state-of-the-art technologies to assess children with asthma and allergic rhinitis, including spirometry, impulse oscillometry, non-specific bronchial provocation tests (e.g., methacholine, exercise testing), fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurement, and nasal provocation testing with acoustic rhinometry.

Cutting-edge protocols are implemented for allergen immunotherapy (both aeroallergens and Hymenoptera venom) and desensitization in cases of severe food allergies. A significant number of children with severe allergic conditions are treated with biologic therapies.

The management of patients with atopic dermatitis and chronic urticaria adheres to internationally standardized protocols, as the Unit is a Certified Center of Excellence within both the ADCARE (Atopic Dermatitis) and UCARE (Urticaria) international networks. Monthly, an Atopic Dermatitis School is held outside regular clinic hours, to provide education and support for affected families.

The Unit is an officially recognized training center for the full specialty of Allergology. It offers clinical training to NKUA medical students, pediatric and allergy residents, and health professionals from Greece and abroad. Additionally, it regularly organizes seminars, conferences, and thematic schools with international participation.

Research is a core pillar of the Unit’s activity, with involvement in and coordination of more than 40 national and European projects. Among them is the Horizon Europe-funded project SynAir-G (Disrupting Noxious Synergies of Indoor Air Pollutants and their Impact in Childhood Health and Wellbeing, using Advanced Intelligent Multisensing and Green Interventions). This multicenter initiative, involving 21 research institutions across Europe, focuses on indoor air quality in school environments and explores how indoor pollutants interact to affect children’s respiratory and overall health.

The Unit maintains a strong scientific output, with more than 50 peer-reviewed international publications annually, and its work has garnered wide international recognition and thousands of citations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolaos_Papadopoulos_(academic)

Professor Nikolaos Papadopoulos is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of allergy and pediatric allergy. He currently serves as Professor of Allergy and Pediatric Allergy at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), where he heads the Allergy Department at the 2nd Pediatric Clinic, “P. & A. Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital.

He also holds Honorary Professorships at the University of Manchester, UK, and the OPRI Institute in Singapore.

He graduated from the Medical School of NKUA and completed his PhD with honors at the Center for Immunology of Infectious Diseases and AIDS, under the supervision of Professor John Papavassiliou. He trained in Pediatrics at the 2nd Department of Pediatrics at “P. & A. Kyriakou” Hospital and specialized in Allergy under the guidance of Associate Professor F. Saxoni-Papageorgiou. Since 2007, he has been leading the Allergy Department (http://www.allergy1.gr)while continuously contributing to the academic, clinical, and research mission of the university.

Professor Papadopoulos’ research focuses on the role of microbes—especially viruses—in allergic inflammation, the interplay between allergies and environmental exposures (including food), and the integration of real-world evidence in clinical decision-making.

He has made significant contributions to the understanding of pediatric asthma, respiratory virology, and food allergies. He has published over 500 scientific papers, which have received more than 70,000 citations, and has an h-index of 119 (Google Scholar). He is Editor-in-Chief of Frontiers in Allergy and serves on the editorial boards of numerous high-impact journals. A frequent speaker at major scientific congresses, he delivers more than 30 invited lectures per year and has organized over 100 national and international educational events. He has supervised more than 20 PhD theses and continues to train physicians and researchers from Greece and abroad.

Over the past 20 years, he has coordinated or participated in numerous major European research initiatives, including GA2LEN, PreDicta, CURE, and SynAir-G—the latter focusing on indoor air quality in schools and its effect on children’s respiratory health. He is the founder and coordinator of PeARL (Pediatric Asthma in Real Life), an international collaborative network committed to optimizing pediatric asthma care.He has held key leadership roles in the field, serving as President of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) from 2013 to 2015, President of the EAACI Research Section (REG) from 2018 to 2020, and is currently a Board Member of the World Allergy Organization (WAO).

Professor Papadopoulos is the recipient of multiple international awards and distinctions for his scientific achievements, clinical leadership, and commitment to education and innovation in allergy and pediatric allergy.

Eleni Anastasiou is an Allergist, PhD-Candidate at the Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), and Consultant at the Allergy Department, 2nd Pediatric Clinic University of Athens (http://www.allergy1.gr).

She was born in Limassol, Cyprus, where she completed her secondary education, and subsequently studied Medicine at Comenius University in Bratislava. She began her clinical training as a junior doctor in Surgery and Internal Medicine at Paphos General Hospital, then continued her residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the 2nd Department of Internal Medicine at the General Anti-Cancer Oncology Hospital “AgiosSavvas,” the 1st Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine at “Laiko” General Hospital, and the 2nd Pediatric Clinic University of Athens.

From October 2021 to September 2024, she specialized in Adult and Pediatric Allergology at the Allergy Department of the 2nd Pediatric Clinic University of Athens.

In 2022, she completed a postgraduate program in Childhood Nutrition at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).

Since 2023, she is member of the Pediatric Asthma Committee of the World Allergy Organization (WAO), and in 2024 she received a Certificate of Excellence from the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) after passing the relevant examinations.

She is actively involved in the clinical and academic work of the Allergy Department and regularly participates in both national and international scientific conferences.