The distinguished cardiologist and Komvos Partner was one of six members of the Greek diaspora honoured by the Hellenic Republic at the 4th annual “Oloi Mazi” luncheon.
Dr George Dangas, Professor of Medicine and Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director of Cardiovascular Innovation at Mount Sinai and a Partner of Komvos, was honoured in New York with the Gold Cross of the Order of Honour of the Hellenic Republic.
The distinction was awarded on 23 September 2026 at the University Club of New York in Manhattan, during the 4th annual “Oloi Mazi” luncheon of the Greek-American community. Five other prominent members of the Greek diaspora were also honoured at the event, representing academia, politics, business, education and diplomacy.
The Gold Cross of the Order of Honour is an official distinction of the Hellenic Republic and, in the case of George Dangas, recognised an international scientific career centred on cardiology, research and cardiovascular innovation.
Six leading members of the diaspora honoured in New York
The awards ceremony was a central part of the annual “Oloi Mazi” luncheon, which brought together approximately 320 representatives of the Greek-American community. The event was co-organised by 28 Greek-American organisations, making it one of the largest institutional gatherings of the diaspora during the week of the United Nations General Assembly.
The programme was opened by Mike Manatos, Executive Director of The Hellenic Initiative, who also coordinated the event. Archbishop Elpidophoros of America offered the opening prayer, while Antonis Diamataris introduced the Prime Minister.
The honours were presented, on behalf of the President of the Hellenic Republic, by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. In his address, he referred to Greece’s relationship with the Greek diaspora, Greek-US relations, the economy, technology, energy and geopolitical developments. The official speech was published by the Office of the Prime Minister on 23 September.
Those attending included former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas, Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Papadopoulou, as well as representatives of the Greek and Greek-American diplomatic and political communities.
Who is George Dangas?
George Dangas has developed a long-standing academic and clinical career in the United States. He is Professor of Medicine, specialising in Cardiology, and Professor of Surgery, specialising in Vascular Surgery, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
He also serves as Director of Cardiovascular Innovation at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Chief of Cardiology at Mount Sinai Queens. His work focuses on interventional cardiology, heart valve disease and contemporary endovascular therapies, using both established and emerging techniques.
George Dangas studied at the School of Medicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and continued his training in the United States at Brown University and Mount Sinai. He was also among the founding members of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation in New York.
From 2023 to 2024, he served as President of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI), one of the leading international scientific organisations in the field of interventional cardiology. He was the first Mount Sinai cardiologist to hold the position.
His scientific work includes extensive research and publishing activity. SCAI lists more than 500 scientific publications, while his current Mount Sinai profile includes more than 1,000 indexed publications in the institution’s database.
In Greece, he has also held a senior position at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, maintaining close ties with the Greek scientific and medical community.
Who were the other five honourees?
The six distinctions reflected different areas of the public, scientific and professional presence of the Greek diaspora in the United States. Alongside George Dangas, five other prominent members of the Greek-American community were honoured.
Michael D. Amiridis, President of the University of South Carolina and an academic with a long career in US higher education, was awarded the Commander of the Order of Honour.
John Koudounis, President and CEO of Calamos Investments and an active member of the Greek-American community, also received the Commander of the Order of Honour.
Diplomat Patrick N. Theros, former US Ambassador to Qatar with a long career in the American diplomatic service, was awarded the Commander of the Order of Honour.
Dina Titus, Member of the US House of Representatives from Nevada, was awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Phoenix.
Educator Athena Krommydas, long-serving principal of the William Spyropoulos Greek American Day School in New York and a prominent figure in Greek-language education within the diaspora, received the Gold Cross of the Order of Beneficence.
George Dangas and the Komvos network
George Dangas’s role as a Komvos Partner connects this distinction with one of the organisation’s central areas of activity: linking scientists, academics and professionals of global Hellenism with Greece and with one another.
His scientific career is a characteristic example of a Greek professional who built an international career at leading academic and medical institutions while maintaining active ties with Greece. This connection between knowledge, international experience and diaspora networks lies at the heart of Komvos’s approach to global Hellenism.
The distinction awarded in New York recognises a long-standing contribution to medical science and cardiovascular innovation, while also highlighting the human capital of the Greek diaspora across major international centres of science, education, business and public life.
