“He who manages to keep the vision and the dream alive in him is sure to conquer it,” this unquenchable dream and commitment to her goals, as she described to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, have led 27-year-old leading scientist in the field of stem cell and anti-cancer research Andonia Vogt, to the top of the Forbes 30 Under 30 for research.

The young woman managed to have an enviable academic career with honors, and at the age of 17, she had her daughter, whom she was raising on her own. Remarkably, the family of Andonia Vogt, feels both great and double pride, because, in the same list, her brother is included, Kimon – Aristotle who attended Harvard, where he taught as a Head Teaching Fellow at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and is running his own company developing AI (artificial intelligence) solutions that address key challenges in healthcare.

I am allowed to inspire other young people

“I felt very happy and very grateful,” Antonia Vogt told APE – MPE, explaining that, with her being named number one on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, “I am allowed to inspire other young people and motivate them not to be discouraged by the obstacles that appear in their way because the one who manages to keep the vision and the dream alive in him is sure to conquer it.”

Antonia Vogt is 27 years old and graduated from high school in Thessaloniki in 2020 she completed her studies in Medical and Science, with the highest degree in the UK. From the University of Stirling in Scotland, she obtained a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology, while being selected as an assistant professor for teaching and cancer research. In 2018 she worked at the Institute Curie in France, participating in cancer research, and in 2019 she was selected to study and represent her university at Illinois University Champaign Urbana in the US on a full fellowship, where she continued her research on Glioblastoma. In 2020, she began her PhD in surgery at the University of Cambridge, where she is still studying today on full scholarship and as an Onassis Foundation Scholar while being selected as a teaching assistant.

She has been raising her daughter alone since she was 17

Antonia has held leadership roles in several prestigious medical societies and founded the Cambridge University Robotic Surgery Society in 2021, of which she is president. She is also President of the Cambridge Neurological Society and, since 2020, has been Vice Chair of her College’s MCR Committee at Cambridge University and a College Ambassador, focusing on supporting students through fundraising for scholarships. As a health and science scientist and being both a student and a single mother since the age of 17, her daughter Ioli is nine years old and strives to provide opportunities for talented students. Through her work, she has started a scholarship at her college for students who are parents.

Addressing the youngsters, the 27-year-old scientist said: “Look at every difficulty with gratitude as an opportunity to learn something that will bring you closer to your goal. Nothing is impossible, however difficult it may seem, for those with vision and faith. Stay humble, help those around you, and use your knowledge for the common good.”

Kimon Aristotle Vogt: From the Mathematical Olympics to the Forbes 30 Under 30

But also significant is the path that Kimon-Aristotelis Vogt has charted, starting with his medal-winning performance at the National Mathematical Olympiads in Greece. On scholarships, he studied electrical engineering in the United States, where he then worked at Carnegie Mellon University as a Research Associate, developing AI algorithms for EEG dysfunction detection and securing international patents. Along with alumni from top universities such as MIT and Yale Medical School, he founded his own company, Sporo Health, developing AI solutions that address key challenges in healthcare.

“Being included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list is a great recognition for all my years of hard work and is an excellent source of motivation to continue working harder to make my mother and Greece proud,” Kimon-Aristotle Fogt told APPE-MPA, noting that, “this distinction is not only for me, but also for my team and the system we have developed. The hard work and perseverance of the team deserve this recognition, and I am really happy that our work is on this list.”

Think of ideas and pursue innovation

It’s important, she stresses, that young people know that, “life is hard, but they need to find what they love and keep trying. If they can manage to take one step at a time and work hard day by day, better days will come. Entrepreneurship is something that is most needed in Greece, and I didn’t know much about it until I went to Harvard. I encourage you to come up with ideas and pursue innovation.”

He noted that, “this accolade is just the beginning, and I look forward to seeing where the next phase of our journey takes us” Commenting on his sister’s achievement of the number one spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, he confided that, “she has worked just as hard and her recognition on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list is a major step in her career, as she is also number one on the list. It is a testament that hard work and determination pay off and I am very happy to share this success. Although I still have a few more years to reach her level, her success inspires me to continue to work hard and pursue my goals.”

Kimon-Aristotelis Vogt has a vision for placing Greece at the forefront of AI in healthcare. He firmly believes that it is through hardship that the best results come, as not only do we become better people when we overcome obstacles, but we also gain greater resilience and ability to manage life. He deeply loves his homeland, Greece, and his goal is to put it at the forefront of technology. Although they have accepted offers to install their solution in other countries outside of the United States, he desires to develop and implement their algorithms first in Greece, for Greek hospitals, clinics, and private physicians.