Ilias Papanikolaou graduated from Patras Medical School in 2000. He received his Board certification in Pulmonary Medicine in Athens in 2009. He has accomplished a fellowship at Sarcoidosis at University of Southern California and a second in interventional Pulmonology at Sotiria University Hospital in Athens. He holds a PhD degree from the National and Kapodistrian Athens Medical School for his thesis “Innate immunity alterations in interstitial pneumonias”. He holds a diploma in Adult Respiratory Medicine of European Respiratory Society. He is currently Consultant Respiratory Physician and Director of Pulmonary Department at Corfu General Hospital. He is also in charge of the Sarcoidosis-ILD clinic and the Infectious Diseases Unit. His current research interest focus on sarcoidosis, interstitial lung diseases, and pulmonary rehabilitation.