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…

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 Giuseppe Tarantini is the Head of the Interventional Cardiology Unit within the Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Sciences at the University of Padua Medical School, Padua, IT. He is a globally recognised researcher specialising in ischemic heart disease, structural heart disease, and cardiomyopathies.

Prof Tarantini serves as the primary operator for a diverse array of interventional procedures, encompassing coronary interventions (including atherectomies), peripheral interventions (such as carotid and renal procedures), and structural heart interventions (involving ASDs, PFOs, TAVI, and AVP).

In addition to his clinical work, Prof Tarantini is a distinguished faculty member at various international conferences, including Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the Congresso della Societa Italiana di Cardiologia Invasiva (SICI-GISE), Euro PCR, and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). He boasts a publication record of 245 clinical…

Professor Ole De Backer is an internationally renowned interventional cardiologist based in Copenhagen, Denmark. He works at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, where he is actively involved in the treatment of patients with complex structural heart disease. He has built an international reputation through his clinical expertise, research leadership, and commitment to innovation in minimally invasive cardiovascular interventions.

Academic History

Professor De Backer has developed an academic career centred on interventional cardiology and structural heart disease. His work integrates clinical practice with research and technological development, particularly in the application of advanced imaging and percutaneous techniques. He has been actively involved in training and mentoring clinicians in the evolving field of transcatheter heart interventions.

Career Overview

Professor Ole De Backer is a leading expert in…

Dr Joost Daemen, MD, PhD is a senior interventional cardiologist at the Thorax Center, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, NL. Dr Daemen obtained his degree in medicine at the Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam in 2005 and did 2 years of internal medicine training and 4 years of general cardiology training at the Thoraxcenter, Rotterdam. 

Dr Daemen is actively involved in several drug-eluting stent trials and is Principal Investigator of four trials focusing on the safety and efficacy of renal sympathetic denervation in hypertension, heart failure, vasospastic angina and heart failure. Dr Daemen is a member of the editorial board of EuroIntervention and the Netherlands Heart Journal, member of Young ICIN, and has completed courses in biomedical statistics and device training.