We would like to congratulate former Duke clinical research fellow and active Piedmont Member, Dr. Anastasios (Tasos) Korompilias, who was elected as Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Ioannina School of Medicine.

Tasos worked as a clinical research fellow at Duke from 1994-1997 with a focus on microsurgery and avascular necrosis of the femoral head. He returned to Greece, and in September 2015, succeeded another former Duke trainee, Dr. Alex Beris, as Chair after Beris’s retirement.

The transition of the leadership of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in Ioannina, from one former Duke trainee to another, pays homage to the tremendous experience that was received while at Duke, as well as the continued support and friendship between orthopaedics at Duke and in Greece.

The Greek-Duke door that was generously opened by Dr. James Urbaniak has been a beacon of hope and success in Greek Orthopaedics and Microsurgery.  Over four decades, at least five Professors and Chairs of Orthopaedic Surgery in Greece have trained at Duke, Drs. Soucacos (Athens and Ioannina), Malizos (Thessalia), Beris (Ioannina), Zoubis (Athens), and now Korompilias (Ioannina).

We look forward to continuing to foster this relationship for years to come and would like to congratulate Dr. Korompilias on this incredible achievement.