Kranias 1st Woman Scientist Elected to Academy of Athens

Litsa Kranias, PhD, Hanna Professor and director of cardiovascular biology in the department of pharmacology and cell biophysics, has been elected as a Corresponding Member in Greece’s Academy of Athens, the highest research establishment in Greece.

The academy was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The Section of Sciences has 17 Regular Members, seven Foreign Members and 69 Corresponding Members.

Kranias, a Distinguished University Professor and co-director of UC’s Cardiovascular Institute, says that she is the first female scientist elected among both the regular and corresponding members.

"I am greatly honored," she says, adding that she would like this to serve as a testimony for young professional women who work to achieve their goals while balancing their professional and personal lives. "I have spent all of my academic career at the University of Cincinnati, which has been an integral and important part in my scientific development and accomplishments."

Kranias adds that she's been very fortunate to be a member of a "highly stimulating and collegial team of cardiac researchers, who carry studies from the cell to bedside and vise versa."

"I am humbled to be elected to this prestigious position and become part of a list of international scientists, each holding great stature in their fields," she says. "This was a surprise for me, and I am especially honored to be recognized by my own country, Greece. This must be a dream for everyone, who goes abroad to study and develop a career outside of his or her own country."