Dr. Nikolaos Spernovasilis comes from Mani and Crete. His interest in Health Sciences began in his teenage years, and he settled on his desire to work in Infectious Diseases during his medical studies and later residency, when he worked alongside excellent Infectious Diseases specialists. His main scientific interests are infection prevention, infections in vulnerable populations such as immunocompromised, pregnant women, the elderly and refugees, and the rationalization of the use of the antimicrobials medicines.

The multidimensional problem of infections has always been a societal problem over time, being essentially the top public health issue. Empires have disappeared, wars have been decided one way or the other, and stock markets have collapsed due to infections such as plague, cholera, typhoid, Spanish flu and others, while we have long been experiencing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowledge and simple common sense are the tools that will help us to live as harmoniously as possible with the micro-organisms that either surround us or, even more so, are naturally present in our bodies.

Microorganisms, and infectious agents in general, have been with Mankind throughout its existence. The relationship between them is either cooperative, with mutual benefits for humans and microorganisms, or antagonistic, resulting in infection and disease. It is this latter form of interaction that we are often called upon to deal with in the first stand-alone Infectious Diseases Department in Cyprus.