Dr. Sogkas participates in research projects A2 and B2.

My Research Interest in RESIST

My research focus in RESIST is the identification of the common pathomechanisms of immunodeficiency and autoimmunity in inborn errors of immunity (IEI). The discovery of monogenic disorders, characterized by both autoimmunity and susceptibility to infections, provided novel insight into the common pathophysiological origins of immunodeficiency and immune dysregulation. Investigation of the crossroads of autoimmunity and immunodeficiency, starting from its genetic origins, may result in the identification of therapeutic targets to revert immune dysregulation without adding to an immune suppressive burden on patients with immunodeficiency.

In my previous work, I have identified monogenic IEI both in patients with immunodeficiency but also in patients with sheer rheumatic disorders. The latter expanded the clinical relevance of IEI in the field of Rheumatology and suggested the therapeutic relevance of timely genetic diagnosis.

Dr. Sogkas

Dr. Sogkas – Curriculum Vitae

Current Position

Consultant Rheumatologist, Clinic for Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical University, Germany (Director: Prof. T. Witte)
Research-Scientist, working group ‘Inborn Errors of Immunity’, Clinic for Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical University, Germany

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training

2007 Degree in Medicine (MD), Larissa Medical School, Division of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Greece
2007 – 2008 Clinical research fellowship, Lab of Physiology, Division of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Greece (Supervisor: Prof. E. Paraskeva)
2008 – 2009 MSc in Integrated Immunology, Division of Health Sciences, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, UK (Supervisors: Prof. H. Chapel, Prof. A. Simmons)
2009 – 2013 PhD in Immunology, Clinic for Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical University, Germany (Supervisor: Prof. J.E. Gessner)
2013 – 2014 Postdoc, AG Gessner, Clinic for Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical University, Germany (Supervisor: Prof. J.E. Gessner)
9/2019 Certification as Consultant Immunologist (with diagnostic competence) of the German Society of Immunology (DGfI)
4/2019 Basic and advanced course in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) (provided by Winicker Norimed)
9/2019 Certification as Consultant Immunologist (with diagnostic competence) of the German Society of Immunology (DGfI)
11/2019 Basic course in Teaching (provided by the ‘Bildungsakademie’ of Hannover Medical University)
2014 – 2021 Resident, Clinic for Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical University, Germany (Director: Prof. T. Witte)
2021 Rheumatology Training Academy

Awards and Prizes

2001 – 2002 “Deligiorgi Brothers” Foundation Award – University of Thessaly
2001 – 2004 Award & Scholarship – State Scholarships Foundation (IKY)
2006 Second place at the 10th Olympiad of Medical Knowledge
(12th Scientific Convention of Medical Students)
2008 – 2009 “Bodossaki” Foundation Scholarship
2009 – 2010 Hannover Biomedical Research School: PhD Scholarship
2012 European Federation of Immunological Societies Travel grant – European Congress of Immunology
(Glasgow, UK)
2018 – 2020 Member of the ‘Young Scientist Academy’ – Hannover Medical University

10 Selected Publications

Bruns L, Panagiota V, von Hardenberg S, Schmidt G, Adriawan IR, Sogka E, Hirsch S, Ahrenstorf G, Witte T, Schmidt RE, Atschekzei F, Sogkas G. Common variable immunodeficiency-associated cancers: the role of clinical phenotypes immunological and genetic factors. 2022. Front Immunol. accepted

Anim M, Sogkas G, Schmidt G, Dubrowinskaja N, Witte T, Schmidt RE, Atschekzei F. Vulnerability to Meningococcal Disease in Immunodeficiency Due to a Novel Pathogenic Missense Variant in NFKB1. Front Immunol. 12: 767188.

Sogkas G, Dubrowinskaja N, Schütz K, Steinbrück L, Götting J, Schwerk N, Baumann U, Grimbacher B, Witte T, Schmidt RE, Atschekzei F. Diagnostic Yield and Therapeutic Consequences of Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing in Sporadic Primary Immunodeficiency. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2021:1-13.

Adriawan IR, Atschekzei F, Dittrich-Breiholz O, Garantziotis P, Hirsch S, Risser LM, Kosanke M, Schmidt RE, Witte T, Sogkas G. Novel aspects of regulatory T cell dysfunction as a therapeutic target in giant cell arteritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2021:annrheumdis-2021-220955.

Egg D, Rump IC, Mitsuiki N, Rojas-Restrepo J, Maccari ME, Schwab C, Gabrysch A, Warnatz K, Goldacker S, Patiño V, Wolff D, Okada S, Hayakawa S, Shikama Y, Kanda K, Imai K, Sotomatsu M, Kuwashima M, Kamiya T, Morio T, Matsumoto K, Mori T, Yoshimoto Y, Dybedal I, Kanariou M, Kucuk ZY, Chapdelaine H, Petruzelkova L, Lorenz HM, Sullivan KE, Heimall J, Moutschen M, Litzman J, Recher M, Albert MH, Hauck F, Seneviratne S, Pachlopnik Schmid J, Kolios A, Unglik G, Klemann C, Snapper S, Giulino-Roth L, Svaton M, Platt CD, Hambleton S, Neth O, Gosse G, Reinsch S, Holzinger D, Kim YJ, Bakhtiar S, Atschekzei F, Schmidt R, Sogkas G, Chandrakasan S, Rae W, Derfalvi B, Marquart HV, Ozen A, Kiykim A, Karakoc-Aydiner E, Králíčková P, de Bree G, Kiritsi D, Seidel MG, Kobbe R, Dantzer J, Alsina L, Armangue T, Lougaris V, Agyeman P, Nyström S, Buchbinder D, Arkwright PD, Grimbacher B. Therapeutic options for CTLA-4 insufficiency. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 7:S0091-6749(21)00891-5.

Sogkas G, Atschekzei F, Adriawan IR, Dubrowinskaja N, Witte T, Schmidt RE. Cellular and molecular mechanisms breaking immune tolerance in inborn errors of immunity. Cell Mol Immunol. 2021;18(5):1122-1140.

Sogkas G, Dubrowinskaja N, Adriawan IR, Anim M, Witte T, Schmidt RE, Atschekzei F. High frequency of variants in genes associated with primary immunodeficiencies in patients with rheumatic diseases with secondary hypogammaglobulinaemia. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020:annrheumdis-2020-218280.

Sogkas G, Hirsch S, Jablonka A, Witte T, Schmidt RE, Atschekzei F. Dupilumab to treat severe atopic dermatitis in autosomal dominant hyper-IgE syndrome. Clin Immunol. 2020;215:108452.

Sogkas G, Hirsch S, Olsson KM, Hinrichs JB, Thiele T, Seeliger T, Skripuletz T, Schmidt RE, Witte T, Jablonka A, Ernst D. Lung Involvement in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome-An Under-Diagnosed Entity. Front Med (Lausanne). 2020;7:332.

Jablonka A, Etemadi H, Adriawan IR, Ernst D, Jacobs R, Buyny S, Witte T, Schmidt RE, Atschekzei F, Sogkas G. Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Phenotype Differentiates Secondary Antibody Deficiency in Rheumatic Disease from Primary Antibody Deficiency. J Clin Med. 2020;9(4):1049. doi: 10.3390/jcm9041049.

Contact

	Dr. Georgios Sogkas
	Klinik für Rheumatologie & Immunologie Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
	Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1 30625 Hannover
	+49 511 532 – 3799
	sogkas.georgios@ mh-hannover.de