George N. Papanicolaou (1883-1962), an exceptional human, scientist and academic teacher: An interview with Dr Neda Voutsa-Perdiki.

Dr Neda Voutsa-Perdiki, former Director of Exfoliative Cytology at the University of Florida (Florida, USA), talks about her academic teacher Dr George N. Papanicοlaou, referred to as the 'Father of Exfoliative Cytology', and his wife Mache, known as Mary Papanicolaou. According to Dr Voutsa-Perdiki, Dr Papanicolaou was an exceptional teacher and a unique humanitarian in modern medical history. The secret of his scientific success was hard work, dedication, love of research, faith and the courage he gained from his wife and colleagues. According to Dr Voutsa-Perdiki, although Dr Papanicolaou was nominated for the Nobel Prize for at least 5 times, the reason for not receiving it remains unclear. His research was mainly clinical and not purely experimental, she adds. The official launch of her recently published book about Dr Papanicolaou entitled 'Dr George and Mache-Mary Papanicolaou - As I knew them' was held on March 1st, 2017 at the 'Benaki' Museum in Athens, Greece.