Rate My Professor Athanasios Saratzis

Professor Athanasios Saratzis is the NIHR Research Professor of Vascular Surgery in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester, based in the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre. He earned his Medical Degree from Aristotle University, Greece, in 2009, and a PhD in Vascular Surgery in 2013 through a multicentre project involving Aristotle University, University of Birmingham, and University of Leicester. Saratzis is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (England) and the Higher Education Academy, and has completed the Harvard Medical School Surgical Leadership Programme, NIHR Academic Leadership Programme, and Harvard Clinical Scholars Training. He undertook higher surgical training in Birmingham (West Midlands Deanery), Leicester (East Midlands Deanery), the USA, and London (Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust), funded initially as an NIHR Fellow and later as a Clinical Lecturer.

Saratzis specializes in vascular and endovascular surgery, with clinical expertise in complex peripheral revascularisation and novel endovascular technologies. His academic interests encompass peripheral artery disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, cardiovascular risk reduction, and randomised clinical trials. He leads a portfolio of major UK and international randomised trials, acting as chief investigator for four national clinical studies and primary investigator for nine trials, while supervising two Academic Clinical Lecturers funded by the British Heart Foundation and NIHR. Notable awards include the first NIHR Research Professorship in vascular surgery, NIHR Advanced Fellowship (£905,883), RCSEng Hunterian Professorship (2020), Arthur Guest Prize (2010), Rob Benny Prize (2012), and European Vascular Society Prize (2015). Key publications feature 'Outcomes of Vascular and Endovascular Interventions Performed During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic' (Annals of Surgery, 2021), 'Central and peripheral arterial diseases in chronic kidney disease' (Kidney International, 2021), and 'A network meta-analysis of supervised exercise therapy, angioplasty and best medical therapy in intermittent claudication' (JACC Cardiovascular Interventions, 2019). His contributions drive advancements in vascular applied research and lead Leicester's industry research theme under the British Heart Foundation Clinical Research Excellence Award.