About Us

The Institute of Public Health (IPH) was established at the American College of Greece as of January 2016, with the purpose to develop scientific research and educational activities in the field of Public Health.

IPH, in alliance with the George D. Behrakis Research Lab of the Hellenic Cancer Society, supports SMOKEFREEGREECE, an initiative for Tobacco Prevention in Greece.

The Institute of Public Health- ACG builds on a program that had begun in 2010 by the Behrakis Foundation, through a collaboration between the Harvard School of Public Health and the Hellenic Cancer Society, under the operating direction of Professor Panagiotis Behrakis.

The Institute of Public Health is fully funded by the Behrakis Foundation, based in Boston, MA.

The IPH aims to advance Public Health through the development of scientific research and educational programs and to increase public awareness on common diseases and emerging public health issues.

The main activities of the IPH include:

  • Series of Lectures on Public Health topics for teachers, parents, healthcare professionals and members of the community with a specific interest in public health
  • Fact sheets/ Press releases for International Awareness Days and emerging public health threats Social and Scientific events
  • Nationally representative Surveys, for smoking prevalence, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the public towards tobacco products and smoking ban legislation

Since 2016, the IPH has implemented 6 annual series of lectures. Leading medical and academic experts deliver in Greek, lectures on selected public health topics, such as influenza, vaccinations, breast cancer, nutrition, prevention and screening, asthma, neurodegenerative diseases.

Since the 3rd series, all lectures are available on the IPH YouTube Channel. The lectures are addressed to Medical Doctors, Psychologists, School Teachers, Scientists, and Health Professionals interested in Public Health and provide CME credits to attendees. To download the current lecture series program click here.

The Institute is located in The American College of Greece’s historic building in Plaka. Its activity is coordinated through the ACG Office of Public Affairs.

Having as a primary focus the reduction of smoking prevalence in Greece, especially among young people, IPH supports the SMOKEFREEEGREECE initiative in the implementation of a multi-faceted agenda, including: weekly education seminars for school-age children in three cities (Athens, Thessaloniki, Tegaia); research and scholarly publications; presentations by prominent speakers on a variety of topics related to tobacco and other health issues; conferences (typically without fees); production of public service information material.

Allied with the Institute, the George D. Behrakis Research Lab is a State-of-the-Art laboratory for Lung Function Testing which offers routine and sophisticated lung function tests and interpretation to all patients appointed by other centers in collaboration, free PFT’S to all people in need due to financial crisis, school based intervention programs against tobacco, that have contributed to reduction of tobacco use in student population. Also, numerous research projects regarding the respiratory health effects of active and passive smoking, leading to more than 30 publications in the course of the past 3 years as well as to several congress presentations, have been integrated through the LAB.