Athanasia Printza is a Professor of Otorhinolaryngology-Phoniatrics at the School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Member of The European Academy of Sciences and Arts and Executive Committee member, The Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE). She obtained her Medical Degree (1991), an M.Sc. in Medical Research Technology (2003) and a Ph.D. title from the Medical School AUTh (2004), and an M.Sc. in Speech and Swallowing Research from the Medical School, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK 2006. She trained as an otolaryngologist in Greece and England, obtained post-qualification training in England and Germany, and received scholarships of excellence for undergraduate and graduate studies, and Ph.D. and postdoc research. Since 2001, she works at the Otolaryngology Dept, AUTh, and has organized and run the first Voice and Swallowing disorders clinic in Greece. She is engaged in extensive interdisciplinary and integrated teaching and research, and has supervised many Ph.D. and Master’s Theses. She teaches Otolaryngology, Communication disorders, Medical Education, and Research Methodology. She is a Member of the Organizing Board of the inter-University M.Sc. in Sciences of communication disorders. She has conducted interdisciplinary research in outcome measures, patient-centered health care, shared decision-making, swallowing, voice, olfaction, and medical education. Professor Printza has published more than 90 full papers in peer-reviewed journals, many book chapters, and has delivered more than 200 conference lectures. She has been engaged in continuing professional development in educational methodology and bioethics (SNFBioethics Academy Alumni). As a member of the Committee of Ph.D. studies and a research projects evaluator, she fosters postgraduate education and quality assurance of research at the School of Medicine. She has organized Upper Respiratory tract Endoscopy, Stroboscopy, Phoniatrics, Swallowing Disorders, and ENT Emergencies seminars and initiated the AMSE2024 conference Advancing patient-centricity in medical education, research and healthcare” at the School of Medicine in collaboration with the OxCME. She is a member of the panel of experts at the Oxford Centre of Medical Education, The DO'L Medical Educator Award, President of the Hellenic Society of Phoniatrics and Swallowing disorders, Deputy President of the School of Medicine Committee of International Relations, country representative at the European Dysphagia Council, member of many scientific societies, and an Honorary Member of the Romanian ENT society. She has received awards of excellence for International Teaching, and International Recognition and Impact from the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Thessaloniki Ambassador Award from the TCB, and awards from the Romanian ENT Society.

As a 2025-2026 Fulbright Scholar, Athanasia will be hosted at Stony Brook University to engage in the development and evaluation of learning experiences and educational activities to foster shared health decision- making and patient-centered care. This is in line with her engagement as an academic, clinician and educator, in fostering innovation, student and patient agency in learning and healthcare and enhancing societal accountability of medical education. As a scholar visiting Stony Brook University, which is actively engaged in transforming health professionals’ education to meet community health care needs, she will be able to exchange experiences and develop transferable skills that can shape her home health education and healthcare ecosystems to promote patient agency and empower health professionals to proactively care for their wellbeing and show social responsibility.