Eleni Antoniadou

Eleni Antoniadou (Greek: Ελένη Αντωνιάδου) is a Greek public figure and scientist.

Eleni Antoniadou in 2019

In September 2019 her credentials came under scrutiny after allegations of misrepresentation.[1] This resulted in several Greek and international media investigating her claims, which have been proven to be false or, in some cases, exaggerated.[2][3][4][5]

Background

Early life and education

Eleni Antoniadou was born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1988. She studied Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics at the University of Central Greece and received a Master's degree in Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine from University College London.[6]

Career

She has been reported as being a scientist active in the fields of regenerative medicine, artificial organ bioengineering and space medicine.[2][7] Antoniadou co-founded a company called Transplants without Donors.[6]

In 2014, she was included in the BBC's 100 Women,[8] and in 2015 in Forbes 30 amazing women under 30.[9]

In 2016 she served as president of the 2nd regular annual convention of the European Health Parliament, which describes itself as a multidisciplinary movement to suggest solutions for health to the European Union policymakers.[10][11][2]

Toy maker Mattel produced a special edition Barbie doll with Antoniadou's image as part of their 60th anniversary Role Models series. The replica was the first time a Barbie doll portrayed a woman from Greece.[12][7] The production of the doll was cancelled after allegations of misrepresentation surfaced in 2019.[13]

Criticism

After a commendation by the Minister of Education Niki Kerameus in 2019, scientists raised concerns that Greek media may not have verified her academic credentials and that she may have misrepresented her achievements.[2][14][3][15] Greek Wikipedia later modified its article on Antoniadou after the misrepresentations were revealed,[16][17] and Greek think tank Dianeosis (διαΝΕΟσις) removed her from their advisory committee.[18]

According to the website 'Ellinika Hoaxes',[1] the claim that she is "the scientist who made the world's first artificial trachea from stem cells that were successfully transplanted into a patient" is untrue, as the recipient passed away just 18 months after the operation, while the surgeon who performed it, Paolo Macchiarini, was heavily criticized for wrong medical practices and fired from the Karolinska Institute where he worked.[19][20] Antoniadou's name was absent from the scientific publication concerning both the construction of the trachea and the operation. A few months after the death of the patient, Antoniadou appeared in interviews and incorrectly stated that the patient survived. The publication in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research is now retracted.[20]

Despite the relevant reports and her resume, Antoniadou did not work directly for NASA nor did she participate in astronaut training, as reported in an interview, but instead participated in a short-lived space clothing experiment. The claim that she received the NASA-ESA Outstanding Researcher Award in 2012 is not confirmed. According to NASA Johns Hopkins University space scientist Stamatis Krimizis, NASA and ESA have only separate awards. It also does not have a name on NASA's list of recipient awards until 2012.

A BBC publication heavily criticised Greek media and their role, which, while conducting several interviews with Antoniadou, did not verify or factcheck whether what was attributed to her was correct. The BBC itself had earlier included her in the 100 Women of 2014.[21] The European People's Party included her in a Twitter post as one of the 11 most important Greeks of the twentieth century.[22]

References
  1. "Ελένη Αντωνιάδου: Μια διαδρομή από τη NASA μέχρι τα Ellinika Hoaxes (pics)". Έθνος (in Greek). 2019-09-17. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
  2. "Woman who inspired first Greek Barbie accused of falsely claiming she worked as Nasa scientist". The Telegraph. 2019-09-18. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
  3. Kallergis, Kostas (2019-09-20). "Why Greeks question this role model's credentials". BBC News. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
  4. "Greek scientist's claim to fame called into question | Kathimerini". www.ekathimerini.com. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  5. Staff, T. N. H. "Greek Woman's Claim to Be Scientist Refuted by NASA". The National Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  6. Figaro, Madame (2017-08-22). "Eleni Antoniadou, chercheuse grecque passionnée par la Nasa". Madame Figaro. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  7. "Il bluff di Eleni, la scienziata star che diventò Barbie". Repubblica.it (in Italian). 2019-09-21. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  8. "Who are the 100 Women 2014?". BBC. 26 October 2014.
  9. "The Amazing Women on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List". Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  10. "FAQ.About the European Health Parliament (EHP)". European Health Parliament. Retrieved 2019-09-27.
  11. "Interview with Eleni Antoniadou - EHP President 2016". European Health Parliament. 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  12. "Barbie | Role Models | Inspiring Women | You Can Be Anything". barbie.mattel.com. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  13. "Mattel: Δεν θα βγει ποτέ σε παραγωγή η Barbie που μοιάζει στην Αντωνιάδου". ΣΚΑΪ (in Greek). Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  14. "Greek scientist's claim to fame called into question". ekathimerini.com. 2019-09-19. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
  15. "Knappe NASA-onderzoekster kreeg ene na andere onderscheiding en zelfs haar eigen Barbie-pop, tot een professor iets opviel..." www.nieuwsblad.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2019-09-21.
  16. "Ελένη Αντωνιάδου: H Wikipedia άλλαξε το λήμμα της μετά το σάλο – Τι λέει για τη NASA". in.gr (in Greek). 2019-09-19. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
  17. Team, ΤοΒΗΜΑ (2019-09-19). "Ελένη Αντωνιάδου : Οι αλλαγές από τη Wikipedia, οι επικρίσεις και τα ψέματα". Ειδήσεις - νέα - Το Βήμα Online (in Greek). Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  18. "Εκτός συμβουλίου της διαΝΕΟσις η Ελένη Αντωνιάδου (Photo)". Pontiki. 2019-09-20.
  19. "Υπόθεση Ελένη Αντωνιάδου: Η NASA, η πρώτη τεχνητή τραχεία, τα βραβεία και τα ερωτήματα". HuffPost Greece (in Greek). 2019-09-17. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  20. William Kremer, "Paolo Macchiarini: A surgeon’s downfall", BBC World Service, 10 September 2016
  21. "Who are the 100 Women 2014?", BBC, 26 October 2014: "Eleni Antoniadou Co-Founder Transplants Without Donors @eleni_nasa"
  22. "Why Greeks question this role model's credentials". BBC News. 2019-09-19. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
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