02nd June 2026
On 21st of May 2026, Dr Angelos Kassianos, Assistant Professor in Health Psychology at the Cyprus University of Technology and Director of the Behavioural Science in Health (BSiH) Lab, was invited to speak at the Chief Medical, Chief Nursing and Chief Dental Officers Joint Meeting (CMO, CNO, CDO Joint Meeting) under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in Pafos.
The high‑level meeting, titled “Towards a healthy Generation: Promotion and protection of the health of children and adolescents”, brought together national Chief Officers, European institutions and international organisations to discuss early prevention, youth mental health and oral health, with a strong emphasis on equity and resilient health systems.
In Parallel Session I – Chief Medical Officers Meeting: “From the Beginning of Life to Tomorrow’s Public Health: Challenges and Opportunities”, two colleagues from the Cyprus University of Technology contributed complementary perspectives along the life‑course:
Dr Ourania Kolokotroni, Assistant Professor at the School of Health Sciences, spoke on “Critical periods, Critical opportunities, Critical policies: Investing in Early Life for Lifelong Impact”, highlighting how early‑life exposures and policies can shape health trajectories across the lifespan and why investment in the first years of life is crucial for a healthier next generation.
Dr Angelos Kassianos presented “Behavioural Insights for Vaccine Confidence: Lessons from Research and Practice in Cyprus and Europe”, drawing on EU‑funded research on vaccine hesitancy and confidence, and on behavioural science frameworks such as the 7C model and COM‑B to understand and address vaccine uptake among citizens and healthcare professionals.
Together, their contributions underscored how early‑life prevention and behavioural insights can be combined to design more effective, equity‑oriented public health strategies – from critical developmental windows to vaccination policies and pandemic preparedness.
The BSiH Lab is proud to contribute, alongside CUT colleagues, to the Cyprus Presidency agenda and to EU‑wide efforts to foster vaccine confidence and protect the health of the next generation.
