Dr K. Karavanaki graduated from the Medical School the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece, with Honors.
She was specialized in Pediatrics at the Fist Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, “Aghia Sofia” Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece. She got further training for 3 years in Great Britain as a Research Fellow in Diabetes Mellitus and in Pediatric Endocrinology, at the Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, of the Department of Pediatrics, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, in Bristol, UK. There she completed her Ph.D. thesis with funding stemming from 2 scholarships.
Afterwards, she got further training for 3 years as a paid Research Fellow in Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus at the Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit of the First Department of Pediatrics, Athens University, “Aghia Sofia” Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece.
In 2003 she was elected as a Lecturer in Pediatrics, in the 2nd Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, at the “P&A Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital, Athens, where she ascended the University hierarchy all the way to the top. During September of 2018, she was elected a Professor of Pediatrics & Pediatric Endocrinology, in the 2nd Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens. During the past 20 years she is the Head of the Diabetes & Metabolism Unit of this Department. In this Unit more than 250 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes are currently followed, as well as patients suffering from rarer types of diabetes. It’s worth noting that at the Diabetes Unit all modern technologies are being used for diabetes management, such as insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring devices, and lately hybrid pancreas.
Another great field of expertise of Dr Karavanaki is Pediatric Obesity. In this context, she has delivered numerous lectures as an invited speaker to Obesity & Metabolism Scientific Meetings in Greece, as well as abroad, over the last years. She has also undertaken Ph.Ds. theses in Obesity and Metabolism in children and teenagers, with relative scientific publications.
Dr Karavanaki has an ever-expanding teaching record, having trained a great number of Pediatricians, Endocrinologists and Students in Diabetes over the last 20 years.
She has also served as a member of the board of Directors of the Panhellenic Obesity Association for 4 years. She also served as a board member of the National Center for Diabetes of the Ministry of Health.
Her research work includes more than 80 English publications in International scientific journals and more than 250 presentations of studies in Scientific Meetings in Greece and abroad. Lastly, she has overseen more than fifteen PhD and Post Graduate theses.