The European Cardiac Arrhythmia Genetics Focus Group (ECGen) of EHRA

The European Cardiac Arrhythmia Genetics (ECGen) focus group will represent EHRA in the field of cardiac arrhythmia genetics, addressing important issues including education and training, patient pathways and guidelines, and research.

Read the European Heart Journal article, The European Cardiac Arrhythmia Genetics (ECGen) Focus Group.

Objectives

1. Develop and harmonise patient pathways and guidelines for clinical cardiology and genetic management of patients with arrhythmia syndromes and arrhythmic genetic disorders on behalf of EHRA and in collaboration with other European and international stakeholders
2. Provide a framework for delivering education and training in the genetic arrhythmia field to European doctors and allied professionals
3. Provide a platform for interaction with national and European patient interest groups
4. Promote collaboration of members to collect data for research as well as interact with other stakeholders where objectives are shared
5. Collaborate with the ESC Working Group for Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases, the Association for European Cardiovascular Pathology, the European Society of Human Genetics and the new ESC Council for Cardiovascular Genomics

Membership

In order to join ECGen, the only requirement is that applicants must be an EHRA Member. We are open to a wide membership including trainee or fully qualified adult or paediatric cardiologists, geneticists, pathologists, scientists, and allied health care professionals including registered nurses or genetic counsellors.

You can fill in and submit the ECGen joining form in your My ESC account under "New application” then "Association Networks Joining Forms". Application forms will be reviewed on a monthly basis.

The Elected Focus Group

We established an initial multi-disciplinary focus group for the first year derived from EHRA Members. A process for electing the first Elected Focus Group by the membership and rules for procedures was established by this initial Focus Group and approved by the ordinary membership.

The initial elected Focus Group was allocated a four-year term and the new Chair and the committee for 2024 will be appointed in coordination with the President Elect.

Today, the Focus Group consists of:

• Prof. Elijah Behr - ECGen Chairperson
• Dr. Lia Crotti - ECGen Vice Chair
• Dr. Giulio Conte - EHRA Scientific Initiatives Committee Member
• Prof. Eric Schulze-Bahr - EHRA Education Committee Member
• Prof. Jacob Tfelt-Hansen - EHRA Congress Scientific Programme Committee Member
• Prof. Arthur Wilde - EHRA Scientific Documents Committee Member
• Dr. Nynke Hofman - Genetic Counsellor
• Dr. Georgia Sarquella Brugada (Pediatric Cardiology)
• Dr. Irina Rudaka - Trainee Physician
• Assoc. Prof. Carol Ann Remme - Scientist

• Ms Georgiana Neculau - Genetic Nurse

The activities

ECGen members have been active in EHRA committees to support their functions, including congress content development, education and offering research opportunities. These are priorities according to our first membership survey (see results). Important consensus and survey documents have also been published.