Dr Fuster completed his medical degree at Barcelona University in 1967 and then pursued an internship at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. In 1971, he attended the University of Edinburgh as a research fellow in cardiovascular disease for three years under the tutelage of Desmond Julian and Harold Sheehan. He earned his PhD degree at Edinburgh University with his thesis focussing on platelet factor 4.

Following his fellowship in Edinburgh, Valentin spent time as a resident at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Minnesota, later becoming the school’s Professor of Medicine and Consultant in Cardiology at the age of 39.

Valentin spent 10 years at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, following which he became Chief of Cardiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. 

In 1991, Valentin was made full Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of Cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was one of the first to appreciate…

Roxana Mehran is an internationally recognised interventional cardiologist and clinical researcher based in New York, United States. She has spent much of her professional career at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai Hospital, where she has become a leading figure in cardiovascular clinical trials, interventional cardiology, and outcomes research. Her work is widely noted for its focus on improving patient outcomes, advancing evidence-based care, and promoting sex-specific research in cardiovascular medicine.

Academic History

Professor Mehran pursued her medical education and postgraduate training in internal medicine and cardiology, followed by subspecialty training in interventional cardiology. Her academic career has been closely aligned with Mount Sinai, where she has advanced through senior academic ranks.

She currently holds appointments as Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Professor of Population Health Science…

Prof Van Mieghem initially intended to train as a cardiac surgeon but decided to specialise in interventional cardiology instead, following advice from a mentor. This decision was cemented when he read the first-in-human case report of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in Circulation by Alain Cribier in 2002. Prof Van Mieghem believes that great cardiologist genuinely cares for their patients. He names Gary Roubin, Dr Manu Malbrain and Professor Patrick Serruys among his mentors. 

Academic History

Prof. Nicolas M. Van Mieghem completed his medical training at the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), where he earned both his medical degree and his specialist degree in cardiology. During his time in Leuven, he developed a strong interest in cardiovascular medicine, particularly in the emerging field of minimally invasive cardiac interventions. After finishing his core medical and cardiology training, he pursued multiple advanced…

Professor Lars Søndergaard is a consultant cardiologist at Rigshospitalet – Copenhagen, Denmark. Professor of Cardiology at University of Copenhagen, he published over 300 peer reviewed articles, and more than 15 textbook chapters. His research interests are focused on adults with congenital heart diseases and catheter-based heart valve interventions, as well as congenital and structural heart diseases. He led the first-in-human transcatheter mitral valve implantation (CardiAQ) in 2012 and he actively participated to several trials, including NOTION (transcatheter vs. surgical aortic valve replacement in patients with aortic stenosis and low surgical risk), and the REDUCE randomised trial (PFO vs anti-platelet therapy after cryptogenic stroke).

Dr Kendra Grubb is the surgical director of the Emory Structural Heart and Valve Center. She is also an associate professor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine.

Kendra is a champion for women's heart disease and is dedicated to improving the lives of all patients through innovation, collaboration and a patient-centred approach to the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Her clinical interests include valve repair or replacement, coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and hybrid coronary revascularization.

Dr Grubb research interests are innovative cardiac surgery technologies. She has led and participated in multiple clinical trials of innovative cardiac surgery technologies, including studies of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), MitraClip percutaneous therapy and the GORE® conformable TAG® thoracic endoprosthesis for the primary treatment of…

Prof David Hildick-Smith is Professor of Interventional Cardiology and Consultant Cardiologist at the Sussex Cardiac Centre - the Regional Specialist Unit. He is Director of the Cardiac Research, ex-Treasurer of the British Cardiovascular Interventions Society, and, with more than 20 years experience of Interventional Cardiology, is considered one of the country's leading experts in management of Cardiovascular complaints.

A pioneer of Interventional Cardiology, David is recognised internationally as a leader in cardiovascular diagnosis and treatment.