Dr Vanesa Bellou

Department of Emergency Medicine and Department of Respiratory Medicine, General Hospital of Arta, Arta, Greece

Dr. Vanesa Bellou is a Consultant Respiratory Physician at the General Hospital of Arta in Greece, with dual appointments in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Respiratory Medicine. She completed her medical degree at the University of Ioannina Medical School, where she graduated summa cum laude at the top of her class. Dr. Bellou subsequently earned her PhD in Epidemiology from the same institution with her thesis "Deciphering the etiologic and prognostic map of respiratory diseases," which was awarded the highest distinction (summa cum laude). Her doctoral studies were funded by a prestigious scholarship from the Greek State Scholarships Foundation, having also been offered the distinguished Onassis Foundation Scholarship.

Dr. Bellou's research focuses on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), prognostic modeling in respiratory diseases, and the environmental epidemiology of pulmonary conditions. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in leading journals, including the European Respiratory Journal, BMJ, Chest, and The Lancet Neurology. Her systematic reviews and meta-analyses on environmental risk factors for respiratory and neurological diseases are highly cited in the field.

In addition to her clinical and research work, Dr. Bellou has served as an Adjunct Lecturer and Teaching Assistant at the University of Ioannina Medical School, where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in respiratory medicine, biostatistics, and epidemiology. She is actively involved in multiple international research collaborations, including participation in guideline development groups such as PRISMA-PF and TRIPOD-AI. In 2024, Dr. Bellou was selected for the prestigious ERN-Lung Online Academy fellowship, which included a practical training at St. Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, a center of excellence for rare respiratory diseases and cystic fibrosis.

Dr. Bellou serves as an editor for several scientific journals, including the European Respiratory Journal, where she was selected for the competitive Early Career Editorial Team Mentoring Program. She is a member of the Hellenic Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society, and regularly participates as a principal or sub-investigator in clinical trials focused on COPD management. In 2024, she received board certification in Smoking Cessation from the Hellenic Thoracic Society after successfully completing national examinations, further enhancing her expertise in addressing a key factor in COPD management.

Her expertise in advanced epidemiological methods, combined with her clinical experience in respiratory medicine, provides a unique perspective on the evolving landscape of COPD research and treatment.

Updated 6 May 2025