Johns Hopkins Medical School Sets Research and Teaching Collaboration with University of Patras...( BALTIMORE April 8 2008 /- The Joh...),Health

BALTIMORE, April 8, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has established a formal educational agreement with the University of Patras, the third largest university in Greece, to collaborate on research and on student and faculty exchanges.

The two schools will officially begin their new collaboration on April 11, 2008, when representatives from the 43-year-old Greek public institution visit Johns Hopkins to sign the agreement, championed by leading Greek-American businessman and philanthropist John G. Rangos, Sr., a member of the Johns Hopkins Medicine Board of Visitors and a longtime benefactor of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Hopkins to share new ideas with an outstanding institution abroad," says Myron L. Weisfeldt, M.D., director of the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins, who facilitated and developed the areas of collaboration. "We're expecting a fruitful relationship for Hopkins as well as the University of Patras."

The visiting representatives from the University of Patras, located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese in Greece, close proximity to the ancient Greek sites of Olympia, Delphi and Mycenae, will sign the collaborative agreement at the dedication of the John G. Rangos, Sr. Building, scheduled to take place earlier the same day. The delegation from the University of Patras will be led by Dimitrios Dougenis, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Personnel and professor of cardiothoracic surgery in the University's Department of Medicine. Guest speakers at the event will include Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD 3rd), Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD 7th) among others.

The John G. Rangos, Sr. Building will anchor the Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins, which is part of an 80-acre urban redevelopment just north of the Hopkins medical campus. Rangos' philanthro
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