George Chrousos
Professor and Director of the Pediatric Clinic at the Medical School of ​the of Athens University

Stress can be defined as the disorder of the “dynamic balance” of an organism. This balance is regulated by a system in the brain and body, called “stress system”. When stress is successfully treated by this system, the results are neutral or even beneficial to the organism. However, when the initial balance is not restored, a condition that is defined as “kakostasis” devastating effects can occur. Paradoxically, the main beneficial hormones called “stress mediators” are responsible to a considerable extent for the damage suffered by the body under kakostasis. When they are not secreted properly and for a long time during chronic stress, speed up aging, cause psychosomatic problems and increase the likelihood of infection and carcinogenesis in the body. Today, the presence of kakostasis can be assessed and rated in subjects. There are methods of prevention including lifestyle changes, behavioral therapies and use of appropriate medications. The nature of man, therefore, is not destiny and mental and physical resilience to stress (yperstasis) is possible, if we really look for it.

George P. Chrousos is Professor and Chairman of the First Department of Pediatrics at the University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece, and former Chief of the Pediatric and Reproductive Endocrinology Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland. He also holds the UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care at the University of Athens and held the 2011 John Kluge Distinguished Chair in Technology and Society at the Library of Congress, Washington DC. Prof. Chrousos is internationally recognized for his research on the glucocorticoid signaling system of the cell, on the diseases of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of stress. His work has opened new horizons in our understanding of a spectrum of human complex disorders, including depression, the eating disorders, the metabolic syndrome and the inflammatory autoimmune and allergic diseases. His contributions span a range of medical disciplines, including Medicine, Pediatrics, Endocrinology, Psychiatry, Rheumatology, Allergy, Surgery, Oncology and Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Chrousos is a top cited Clinician and Clinical Researcher.