Athena Philis-Tsimikas, MD
Athena Philis-Tsimikas was named as the executive director of The Whittier Institute for Diabetes in 2004 and continues her role as the chief medical officer. Prior to joining The Whittier Institute, Philis-Tsimikas served as a clinical endocrinologist on the staff of the Scripps Clinic Medical Group for seven years in the Division of Diabetes and Endocrinology. She has also served as an associate clinical professor at the University of California, San Diego for the past 11 years in the Division of Endocrinology/Diabetes and Metabolism. In 1997, she assisted in establishing the community-wide, nationally recognized diabetes program Project Dulce as its medical director. She subsequently joined The Whittier Institute full time in 2001 as its chief medical director and executive vice president of Clinical Programs. Philis-Tsimikas received her medical degree from the University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece in 1988 and later completed dual research and clinical fellowships in Diabetes and Endocrinology from the University of California, San Diego, and Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in the subspecialty of Diabetes and Endocrinology. Philis-Tsimikas has served as the principal investigator in numerous clinical research trials, both sponsor- and investigator-initiated, over the last eight years. She has dedicated her career to furthering diabetes care, research and education and will guide the organization’s strategic direction and clinical focus, which includes: patient care and education provided by the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Program and Project Dulce; diabetes research; clinical trials; diabetes training programs for professionals; and diabetes prevention programs for children and their parents.