Professor Theresa A. McDonagh is a consultant cardiologist based in London, United Kingdom. She serves as Clinical Lead for Heart Failure at King’s College Hospital and holds a professorship in Heart Failure at King’s College London. Her clinical work is focused on the diagnosis and management of heart failure, and she remains actively involved in both national and international cardiology communities. Her research and leadership roles have shaped contemporary approaches to heart failure care and clinical audit at a national level.
Academic History
Professor McDonagh qualified in medicine from the University of Edinburgh, where she completed her BSc (Hons), MB ChB (Hons), and later earned her MD with distinction. She completed her internal medicine training in Edinburgh before undertaking specialist cardiology training at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow. Her early research focused on the epidemiology of left ventricular dysfunction and natriuretic peptide biomarkers. Following this, she held a Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist position at the University of Glasgow and Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where she led the Heart Failure Service and was involved in the Heart Transplant Programme.
Career Overview
Professor McDonagh’s career has spanned both clinical practice and academic leadership. After her roles in Glasgow, she was a Consultant Cardiologist leading heart failure services at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London from 2004 to 2011. In 2011, she moved to King’s College Hospital and King’s College London, where she now leads the Heart Failure Programme and serves as Clinical Lead for the National Heart Failure Audit, a major UK clinical audit initiative. She has chaired the Clinical Section of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology and served in leadership roles in the British Society for Heart Failure. Her research interests include clinical heart failure, the epidemiology of left ventricular dysfunction, and the role of biomarkers in diagnosing and managing heart failure. Professor McDonagh also contributes to major international guidelines on heart failure care, including the 2021 ESC Heart Failure Guidelines and subsequent focused updates. Currently, Dr Theresa McDonagh is an Editorial Board member of Cardiac Failure Review.
Career Timeline
- 1985 – BSc (Hons), University of Edinburgh
- 1987 – MB ChB (Hons), University of Edinburgh
- 1999 – MD (Distinction), University of Edinburgh
- 1999–2004 – Senior Lecturer & Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, University of Glasgow & Glasgow Royal Infirmary
- 2004–2011 – Consultant Cardiologist, Royal Brompton Hospital, London
- 2011–Present – Consultant Cardiologist & Professor of Heart Failure, King’s College Hospital & King’s College London
- Past – Chair, British Society for Heart Failure
- Past – Chair, Clinical Section, Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology
- Present – Clinical Lead, National Heart Failure Audit
Recognition
Professor McDonagh is widely recognised for her leadership in heart failure research, clinical care, and guideline development. She has contributed to major international clinical trials and guideline task forces and has published extensively on heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction, and biomarkers. She has delivered invited talks at national and international cardiology forums and played a central role in setting standards for heart failure care.
Areas of Speciality
- Heart Failure
- Left Ventricular Dysfunction
- Clinical Epidemiology of Heart Failure
- Biomarkers in Heart Failure
- Guideline Development
- Heart Failure Services and Audit
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