Jose L. Zamorano Gomez
Title: MD, FESC
Subspecialty/specialty of interest: Heart failure, Ischaemic heart disease, CV Risk factors, CV Imaging modalities.
Current role at the ESC: Councillor of the ESC. President elect of the EAE. Member of the Practice Guidelines Committe of the ESC.
What is the key strength of the ESC? Its own members, National Societies, WG and Asscoc. Our power is the exchange in knowledge, scientific interest and education, between different people that merge in the ESC.
What do you think is the key challenge of the ESC? Focus on cardiovascular diseases in general. Reduce the impact of the disease and try to help in the Research and education witihin the different componentsd of the ESC. Since each subspeciality is growing, we should try to keep all Associations, Working Groups and subspecialities under the umbrella of ESC. This is one of our major strenghts.
What you like to address in your new role at the ESC? What will your priorities be? I will actively particpate in the Guidelines , improve relationship with Associattions and try to increase relations with other Working Groups that are dealing with similar problems (i.e. MRI, CT, Nuclear, echo... )
What other major involvements do you have outside the ESC? Director of the Cardiovascular Imaging Unit at the University Clinic San Carlos. Eeducation is also important in my activities and I am actively participating at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Lectures on Cardiology but also Charing Doctoral Course on Valvular Heart disease and Telemedicine.
Anything you would like readers to know about you that they may ignore (e.g. political background, member of an editorial board, etc) Member of different Editorial Boards (EJE, J Am Soc Echo..). I have edited 10 books in the cardiology field (3 in english) and the Author of the Virtual Heart that was presented during the last ESC Congress in Barcelona. I also happen to have a Master Executive Education in Management and Health Resources that I took at the ESADE Business School in Madrid (2006-2007)
What do you do with your free time? Trying to work also as a father (3 kids: 15, 12 and 10 years) and strongly supported by my best half part (Margarita)! We take the kids for a paddle tennis game every Sunday.
Steen D. Kristensen
Title: MD DMSc, FESC
Country: Denmark
Sub-specialty/specialty of interest: Interventional cardiology (PCI), acute coronary syndromes, antithrombotic therapy and platelets.
Current role at the ESC: Councillor of the ESC Board, contact person for the Scandinavian and Baltic countries, member of the ESC Commitee for Clinical Practice Guidelines, coordinator of the Highlight session at the ESC congress, member of the ESC Congress Programme Commitee, member of ESC task forces on a) Working Groups b) bleeding in acute coronary syndromes c) drug eluting stents. Past-chairperson and Nucleus member, ESC Working Group on Thrombosis. Organiser of ESC courses at the European Heart House.
What is the key strength of the ESC? Very professional organisation, high academic level with an excellent congress and high-quality guidelines, educational products and surveys.
What do you think is the key challenge of the ESC? To keep all the subspecialities united underneath the ESC umbrella and further to develop cardiovascular research and clinical practice in all the European countries.
What would you like to address in your new role at the ESC? What will your priorities be? To strengthen the link between the Working Groups, Associations and the Board and also to the national societies. To develop and implement new guidelines and to contribute to make the congress even better. To improve and support cardiovascular research including basic science.
What other major involvements do you have outside the ESC: i.e. role within a national society of foundation: I work with interventional cardiology and clinical cardiology and also try to run a research group mainly on platelet research. I have strong links to the Danish Cardiac Society - former Board member.
Anything you would like readers to know about you that they may ignore? I have a wife and 2 children. I enjoy the travelling due to this position although it can get a little much at times.
What do you do with your free time? Spend it with my family and friends. Trying to do skiing, windsurfing and tennis - I am a real amateur!
Raffaele De Caterina
Title: Professor of Cardiology, MD, PhD
Country: Italy
Sub-specialty / specialty of interest: Acute Coronary Syndromes, Clinical Cardiology, Thrombosis, Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis
Current role at the ESC: I have recently been elected as Councillor and I have accepted responsibilities in 3 areas: (1) being the voice of Basic Cardiovascular Scientists within the ESC; (2) trying to improve the link between the ESC and the Working Groups; (3) liaising the ESC with the Italian Federation of Cardiology.
What is the key strength of the ESC? The ESC is the home and the international voice for European Cardiology. The main strength of the ESC is its cohesion in providing a common platform for Clinical and Experimental Cardiology in Europe.
What do you think is the key challenge of the ESC? The ESC has evolved from a Society whose main task was the Organization of the main annual Congress into an entity with multiple commitments in the entire area of Cardiovascular Health. I think the main challenge (and opportunity) ahead will be the establishment of a European Cardiovascular Research Foundation.
What you like to address in your new role at the ESC? What will your priorities be? Certainly to promote the idea of a Research Foundation with the possibility of impacting on basic cardiovascular research funding in Europe. Having been “blessed” in my professional career with the possibility of cultivating at the same time basic research and a clinical activity, I recognize the immense added value of basic research to the progress of clinical medicine.
What other major involvements do you have outside the ESC? i.e. role within a national society or foundation? I am acting Secretary of the Working Group on Thrombosis, Atherosclerosis and Metabolism of the Italian Society of Cardiology, organising a main annual course on antithrombotic therapy in Italy every year. I have also recently been elected as Vice-President of the newborn Society for Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics (ISNN).
Anything you would like readers to know about you that they may ignore? I am member of the Editorial Board of European Heart Journal, Cardiovascular Research and Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
What do you do with your free time? I like to listen to classical music, but I am also a fan of Italian pop music. I am an amateur pianist, but this is a secret (fortunately for the rest of the world…).
Alan Fraser
Title : Dr
Country : UK
Sub-specialty/specialty of interest : Non-invasive cardiology/Echocardiography/Heart Failure
Current role at the ESC : Councillor
What is the key strength of the ESC? Our wide membership – linking more than 45,000 cardiologists, nurses, and basic scientists, across more than 50 countries – and their willingness and enthusiasm to work collectively.
What do you think is the key challenge of the ESC? Maintaining good communication with all the members and constituent bodies, to ensure the successful completion and implementation of our initiatives.
What would you like to address in your new role at the ESC? What will your priorities be? I want to help to develop a multimodality, evidence-based approach to cardiovascular diagnostic practice, and I would like the ESC to pioneer and harness new electronic tools for education, scientific guidelines, and collaborative research networks.
What other major involvements do you have outside the ESC: i.e. role within a national society of foundation? My previous commitments in the ESC (as President of the European Association of Echocardiography) more than occupied my “spare” time – as I also have many clinical responsibilities, teaching commitments and research programmes in my hospital and university.
Anything you would like readers to know about you that they may ignore? I agree with Virchow’s famous dictum...
What do you do with your free time? Apart from exploring the world, I like to “collect” art galleries and operas, and to walk in the Scottish mountains.