Despina Biri was born and raised in Athens. For the past ten years, she has lived between Greece and London. She began her studies in Molecular Biology, but her strong interest in philosophy led her to the study of bioethics and health care policy. She subsequently worked as a researcher specialising in patient and public participation in medical research and in science more generally, and she has also carried out systematic reviews on clinical trials reporting. A genuine literature and travel enthusiast, she speaks five languages: English, Greek, French, German and Dutch