Politicians, policy-makers, stakeholder organisations and individuals active at EU and national level who support the work of the Coalition:
Political supporters
Steering Committee
The Coalition and the website content are guided by the Coalition’s Steering Committee, which is composed of experts with an interest in tackling structural heart disease at the national and EU level. Steering Committee Members guide and approve the yearly work plans of the SHD Coalition and the content of the website. Members provide their time on a voluntary basis.
Cardiologist
Vice President of the Italian Society of Geriatric Cardiology (SICGE). He was Director of the Department for Cardiovascular Diseases of S. Giovanni Hospital in Rome (1998-2013) and the President of ANMCO – National Association of Hospital Cardiologists (2002 – 2004). He is also the founder and President of Health and Society.
Patient representative
Patient Advocate. Mr. Colgan is a mechanical engineer and a surgical recipient of an artificial tissue aortic valve. In early 2018 at the age of 29 after a steep decline in fitness and health, he was taken in urgently to have his valve replaced. He hopes to inspire and help future patients understand the experiences of open heart surgery and show that after surgery not only can life be better but you might even reach new limits you didn’t think you ever could.
Interventional cardiologist
Professor of cardiovascular sciences at KU Leuven, Clinical head of the cardiovascular department at UZ Leuven, Secretary and treasurer of the Belgian Working Group on Interventional Cardiology
Health or research expert
Senior Health Policy and Engagement Manager, University College London
Interventional cardiologist
Head of the Centre of Structural Heart Disease Interventions and the Heart Valve Center in Mainz, Germany
Health or research expert
Prof. Paolo Magni, MD-Ph.D is a professor of Pathology at the Università degli Studi di Milano, he’s a Member of the Board of the Italian Heart Foundation. He conducts clinical and translational research on cardiovascular diseases and on nutritional/nutraceutical modulation of cardiometabolic risk, ageing and health-related issues.
Cardiac surgeon
Head of the Cardiovascular Surgery Unit. Hospital Ramón y Cajal. Dr. Rodríguez-Roda is also the Vice President of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery
Cardiologist
Head of the Cardiology Unit. Hospital Ramón y Cajal. Director Cardiovascular Institute, University Clinic San Carlos. He was the President of the Working Group on Non-invasive Diagnostic Imaging in the Spanish Society of Cardiology (1999-2002). He has held different positions at the European Society of Cardiology since 2001.
General Practitioner or Geriatrics
Head of the geriatrics service at the Johannes Gutenberg Hospital in Mainz. Specialist in internal medicine and cardiology.
Interventional cardiologist
Emeritus Professor at Brest Hospital University in Brest, France.
Cardiac surgeon
Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery at Bordeaux University Hospital, France & Jiao Tong University, China
MEMBERS OF THE SHD COALITION
The EU Structural Heart Disease Coalition (EU SHD Coalition) is a European network that brings together experts including key opinion leaders, politicians, and patients to work together to ensure that policy on SHD is prioritised at the EU and national level.
To reach the 25% decrease in premature cardiovascular related deaths target by 2035, the members SHD Coalition are calling for a comprehensive approach to addressing Structural Heart Disease through early detection, standardized screening, streamlined patient referrals, and targeted initiatives to address systemic failures and gender disparities in care.
Germany
Interventional cardiologist
PD Dr. Mohammad Sherif is currently Director of the invasive Cardiology and Angiology and Director of the program of structural heart diseases within the Charite University Hospital Berlin (Campus Virchow) in Germany.
Interventional cardiologist
Director of the Clinic of Cardiology, Vivantes Humboldt, Berlin
Interventional cardiologist
Clinic for Cardiology, Pneumology, Angiology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine at Marien Hospital in Hamburg
Interventional cardiologist
Clinic for Cardiology, Pneumology, Angiology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine at Marien Hospital in Hamburg
Interventional cardiologist
Senior physician, Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
Cardiologist
Deputy Director of the Department of Cardiology at Campus Charité Mitte in Berlin, Germany
France
Interventional cardiologist
Dr. Stéphane Peggy Manzo-Silberman is a distinguished French cardiologist currently serving as a hospital practitioner at the Institute of Cardiology, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, affiliated with Sorbonne University. With extensive expertise in cardiovascular medicine, she earned her Doctorate in Medicine from René Descartes University, specializing in aspirin allergy and coronary artery disease. Throughout her career, she has held various clinical and academic positions, including residencies and clinical leadership roles.
Cardiologist
Head of the Cardiology Service of the Hospital Saint-Antoine, Paris and Ex-President of the French Society of Cardiology. He is also Hospital practitioner and a University Professor at the Saint-Antoine Faculty of Medicine
Cardiologist
Dr Jamal, MD PhD FESC MBA, is a cardiologist and founder of the CardioParc cardiology centers in France.
Cardiac surgeon
Chief of the Cardiothoracic
Department at Henri Mondor Hospital APHP
Patient or professional organisation
The French Heart Alliance is a national union of associations fighting against cardiovascular diseases in France since 1993.
Patient or professional organisation
PCR serves a multidisciplinary community including interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists, and researchers. Their activities focus on medical education and peer-to-peer learning across key themes such as Valvular Disease, Coronary Interventions, and Heart Failure.
Health or research expert
PhD in public health and health economics. CEO & Co-Founder RWEALITY and Vyoo Agency. Head of a part of Enosium Life Sciences.
UK and Ireland
Interventional cardiologist
Interventional Consultant Cardiologist and the Clinical Director for Cardiac Services at King’s College Hospital
Interventional cardiologist
Consultant Cardiologist, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin
Interventional cardiologist
Interventional cardiologist / Cardiologist, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Sheffield
Interventional cardiologist
Consultant Cardiologist at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and Clinical Lead for Intervention and TAVI
Interventional cardiologist
Consultant Interventional Cardiologist (Structural and Coronary Intervention) and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust School of Medicine, London and Anglia Ruskin University
General Practitioner or Geriatrics
Dr John DeVerteuil is a general practitioner with expertise in cardiology and echocardiography. He set up and works at a Heart Clinic in the UK, where he provides patients with the echocardiography during the appointment.
Health or research expert
Prof Martin Stout PhD, FESC, FBSE. He is a Consultant Cardiac Physiologist and visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is also Vice President of the British Society of Echocardiography.
Italy
Cardiologist
Dr. Domenico Gabrielli is the Director of the Cardiology Complex Operational Unit (UOC) of the San Camillo Forlanini Hospital in Rome and he is currently President of “Fondazione per il tuo Cuore”.
Cardiologist
Dr. Ambrosetti is the Director of the Complex Specialized Cardiac Rehabilitation Facility at the ASST Santa Marta Hospital di Rivolta D’Adda (Crema, Lombardy Region). He is also the President of ITACARE-P (Italian Alliance for Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention).
General Practitioner or Geriatrics
MD, PhD, FESC, full professor internal medicine and geriatrics
Patient or professional organisation
Dr. Folco is the President Italian Heart Foundation and CEO Giovanni Lorenzini Medical Foundation (Milan, Italy-New York, NY, USA). Moreover she was also Past Exec Director of the International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS)
Spain
Interventional cardiologist
Professor of Medicine at the University of Salamanca and Chief of Interventional Cardiology of University Hospital of Salamanca (Spain). He was trained in Interventional Cardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School (Boston, US). Currently he is the president of the Spanish Association of Interventional Cardiology of the Spanish Society of Cardiology and member of the Scientific Program and Congress Committee of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI). Interventions (EAPCI).
Interventional cardiologist
Dr. Andrés iñiguez is President of the Spanish Heart Foundation, former President of the Spanish Society of Cardiology between 2015 and 2017 and head of the Cardiology Service of the University Hospital Complex of Vigo. He is also member of the Institute for the Improvement of Health Care Foundation (IMAS) and treasurer of the Federation of Spanish Medical Scientific Associations (FACME).
Cardiologist
Cardiology Consultant and Cardiovascular Imaging reader. MD. PhD. EACVI level III accreditation in TTE, TEE, CMR and CCT. Coordinator of Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Unit – Cardiology Department, University Hospital Alvaro Cunqueiro. Cardiovascular Research Group of the Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IISGS) in Vigo – Spain. Director of University Master in Cardiovascular Imaging and SHD interventions – Francisco de Vitoria University and Professor in several University Masters (Cardiovascular CT – Francisco de Vitoria University; Cardiovascular MRI – Francisco de Vitoria University; Cardiovascular Imaging – San Antonio Catholic University; SHD – Rey Juan Carlos University). Elected President of the Spanish Cardiovascular Imaging Association – Spanish Society of Cardiology”
Cardiologist
Cardiologist at the INCLIVA Health Research Institute, where she is part of the emerging group of geriatric cardiology, immunothrombosis, and cardiac rehabilitation. Since April 2022, she holds a Juan Rodés contract and, since January 2023, a FIS scholarship and a JACARDI scholarship co-financed by the European Union.
Cardiologist
Director of the Cardiovascular imaging Department, and Chief of Cardiology Department at HM Hospitales, Madrid. Founder of AtriaClinic and Women Heart Unit as well as the founder of Corazon de Mujer.
Cardiologist
Coordinator of the Cardiac Imaging Unit and the Valvulopathies Unit at the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, in Madrid
Cardiologist
Cardiologist, Head of the Department of Cardiology -Reina Sofía University Hospital in Córdoba, Spain.
Cardiologist
Director, Institut Cardiovascular, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
General Practitioner or Geriatrics
General Practitioner currently in Alcobendas, Madrid, and Associate Professor in the European University of Madrid – Coordinator of the Working Group on Cardiovascular Diseases of the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (SEMFYC)
Patient representative
Ms. Maite San Saturnino holds the position of President of the Platform of Patient Associations of the Spanish Heart Foundation, which aims in unifying the voice of cardiovascular patients and their families in Spain under the umbrella of the Spanish Heart Foundation and joining the Spanish Society of Cardiology.
Patient or professional organisation
The Spanish Association of Nurses in Cardiology (AEEC) is an association of nurses specialized in cardiology, which actively seeks to promote cardiovascular health, continuous education, research, and other activities that contribute to improving cardiological care.
Belgium and the Netherlands
Interventional cardiologist
Dr. Pierfrancesco Agostoni is a cardiologist working in the HartCentrum of Ziekenhuis Aan de Stroom Antwerpen (ZAS), in Antwerp, Belgium. He became Medical Doctor in Milan, Italy in 1999. and Cardiologist in Verona, Italy, in 2004. From 2005 to 2008 he had training in Interventional Cardiology in Antwerp. From 2009 to 2018, he worked as an interventional cardiologist in two major hospitals in the Netherlands.
Cardiac surgeon
Cardiac Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven,Deptartment of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven
Health or research expert
Member of the Amyloidosis Center of Expertise and the Vasculitis Expertise Center, at the University of Groningen (NL) – Board member, secretary of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) - Cardiovascular Committee and board member of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) - Chair of the working group Cardiovascular Imaging in infections and inflammation (collaboration between EANM/ESC/European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI).
RPP Group acts as the Secretariat of the Coalition and is responsible for the management of the website and the coordination of the day to day activities of the Coalition.