17^th European Heart Disease and Heart Failure Congress March 15-17, 2017 London, UK

Eckhard U. Alt, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine at Technische Universität in Munich, Professor at Tulane University in New Orleans LA, is the Todd and Linda Broin Distinguished Professor and Chair at Sanford University SD and was Professor at the University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston TX. Dr Alt received his medical degree as Valedictorian from Heidelberg Medical School. After two years in cardiac surgery at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, he completed his education at Rechts der Isar Medical Center of the Technische Universität Munich in Internal Medicine/Cardiology and became one of the youngest professors there. He is a frequent reviewer and serves on the Editorial Boards of respected journals. From 2001 to 2007, he was President of the International Cardiac and Electrophysiology Society. Prof. Alt has organized major national and international congresses, authored more than 500 publications in peer reviewed journals, books and book chapters. His scientific publications have been cited by other scientists more than 14 000 times, his h factor is over 65. He is a highly sought after global lecturer. His innovative spirit is demonstrated by more than 700 world-wide patents he has been granted, primarily in the fields of Stem Cells, Electrophysiology, and Interventional Cardiology. He has introduced an impressive number of new therapies to clinical practice, including novel methods and devices such as Rate-adaptive Pacing, Defibrillators, Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation and Stem Cell Treatment. His contributions have substantially influenced the modern practice of medicine. Prof. Alt was elected among the leading 1,000 physicians in Germany, the magazine ‘Focus’ rated him among the “Best 12 Cardiologists in Germany”. He received the Hahn Research Award from the European Society of Thoracic Surgery and from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam the prestigous Andreas Gruentzig Ethica Award as Best Experimental Researcher. In 2009 he was named Entrepreneur of the Year in Munich and Health Care Hero and Innovator of the Year in Houston, TX. He is Chairman of the Board of the Isar Klinikum in Munich and of InGeneron Inc. in Houston TX. In addition to being a reknown physician, scientist, profilic researcher and inventor, Prof. Alt is deeply committed to charity in Germany, USA and Africa.

Cardiology, Stem Cells, Electrophysiology, and Interventional Cardiology

Dr. Sunny Po is a cardiac electrophysiologist and has his expertise in the effects of the autonomic nervous system on cardiac arrhythmias. He has discovered that simultaneous activation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system plays a great role in triggering atrial fibrillation. He also pioneered the therapy of using low-level vagal stimulation, at the strength not slowing the sinus rate or atrio-ventricular conduction, to treat atrial fibrillation.

Determinants of catheter ablation failure, Arrhythmogenesis of pulmonary veins, Arrhythmia/heart rhythm disorders,Neural basis of cardiac arrhythmia

Dr.William J. Rowe M.D. is a board certified specialist in Internal Medicine. He received his M.D. at the University of Cincinnati and was in private practice in Toledo, Ohio for 34 years. He is a former Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Ohio, School of Medicine at Toledo. Of only 4 space syndromes, he has published 2: "The Apollo 15 Space Syndrome" and "Neil Armstrong Syndrome." He published Neil Armstrong's probable lunar acute heart failure. He has been listed in the Marquis Whos Who of the World from 2002-2009,2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.

Cell Biology, Human Biology, Phycology, Heart failure

Aris Lacis, cardiac surgeon, professor, MD, PhD graduated Riga Medical Institute in 1961. General and thoracic surgeon in P. Stradina University Hospital in Riga (1964–1969). Thoracic and cardiac surgeon in the Latvian Centre for Cardiovascular Surgery (1969–1994). Since 1994 until 2012 – the head of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery Clinic in University Children’s Hospital, Riga; since 2012 – a consulting professor of this Clinic. Vicepresident of Latvian Society for Cardiovascular Surgery. President of Latvian Association for Pediatric Cardiologists. Author of 395 scientific publications, 3 monographs and 13 patents. Investigator in more than 10 clinical trials including cardiosurgical procedures performed under deep hypothermia, hybrid procedures etc. In May 2009 have been used transcutan intramyocardial delivery techniques for treatment (idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathia) the first 3 months aged patient in the world with autologous bone marrow derived progenitor cells. In November 2010 the first patient with end stage pulmonary hypertension received intrapulmonary implantation autologous stem cells.

Cardiovascular Surgery, Pediatric Cardiology, Pulmonary hypertension, Hypothermia

Dr. Alexander E. Berezin has received PhD in 1994 in the State Medical University of Zaporozhye (Ukraine). He is currently working as a Professor of Medicine in the State Medical University of Zaporozhye (Ukraine). As a Chief of Cardiology Unit of Internal Medicine Department, his research goals are fundamental study of biological markers, the implementation of visualization procedures and percutaneous cardiovascular interventions, the development of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation, especially in the field affected heart failure, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease. Based on this research and training in heart failure he has received several awards and honors, such as: Award of The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (2002), Honor of The Ukrainian Cardiology Association (2004), and is serving one of the active members of the European Cardiology Society. He has authored more 850 research articles, 25 books/chapters

His research goals are fundamental study of biological markers, the implementation of visualization procedures and percutaneous cardiovascular interventions, the development of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation, especially in the field affected heart failure, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease.

Lingfang Zeng has his expertise in stem cell research in vascular biology field, specifically on mechanotransduction, epigenetic modification, and alternative splicing. He has extensive investigation on HDAC3, HDAC7 and IRE1α/XBP1 signal pathway. His current research focuses on alternative translation. His group found that small open reading frame within so-called non-coding area or non-coding RNA could be translated to produce functional small peptides. In addition to ATG, they found that other codons could also initiate the translation to produce more small peptides

stem cell research, vascular biology, alternative splicing, RNA

Qiuping Zhang has her expertise in nesprin family research in cardiovascular biology field, specifically on understanding the complex roles of nesprin-1 and -2, family members of multi-isomeric scaffolding proteins, in regulating normal and pathological processes in the heart and muscle. She has extensive studies on the role of nesprins in myoblast differentiation and function as well as mutations in nesprin-1 or -2 in association with Emery Dreifuss muscular dystrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy. Her current research is focusing on defining the roles of nesprins in cardiac cell function by determining the functional significance of novel nesprin-1 and -2 mutations on the linker of nucleoskeleton-and-cytoskeleton complex that connects the nuclear envelope to the actin cytoskeleton, and also identifying novel roles for nesprins in the sarcomere. This may reveal novel pathways that contribute to the development of cardiac cell dysfunction and cardiomyopathy.

Cardiovascular biology, cardiomyopathy, nesprin

Panos Deloukas is Chair of Cardiovascular Genomics at the William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University London. Deloukas is a world leader in complex trait genetics focused upon elucidating the genetic basis of cardio-metabolic traits. He co-leads many global consortia in common disease genetics (CARDIoGRAMplusC4D, UKBB-CMC, GLGC, GIANT) having identified many of the loci underpinning coronary artery disease. At the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (1994-2013) he made major contributions to the Human Genome Project and the International HapMap project. He was a founder member of the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium. He has authored over 400 publications (H-index 121) and over many years has been amongst the world’s top 1% of most highly cited researchers in Molecular Biology & Genetics.

Cardiovascular, Cardio-metabolomics, molecular biology, genomics

My research interests are the role of DNA damage and repair mechanisms in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis as well as the potential for utilizing circulating micro-RNAs in elucidating the pathophysiology of isolated coronary calcification. I am currently the principle investigator of a study examining the expression of genes involved in the DNA damage and repair-signaling pathways in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with coronary artery disease and determining whether the expression of such genes can be correlated with plaque anatomy. I am also the principle investigator of a study investigating the potential for a “micro-RNA-signature” in patients with isolated coronary artery calcification as measured by CT coronary angiography. microRNAs are isolated from PBMCs for microarray analysis to predict potential micro-RNA targets and to examine the molecular/signalling pathways that characterise the pathophysiology of isolated coronary artery calcification in humans.

Coronary Artery Disease, Interventional Cardiology

Carmine Pizzi has his expertise in evaluation and passion in improving the health and wellbeing. The clinical research is a translation of the applied basic research and focuses on vascular dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. These studies employ ultrasound, coronary angiography, positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. In particular, the effects of pharmacological interventions are investigated. Recently an important aspect of his researches is focused on depression mood and coronary artery disease. His research focuses on the role of endothelium-derived mediators (i.e. nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, prostaglandin H2, endothelin-1 and tissue factor) in the regulation of vascular tone, platelet-vessel wall interaction, coagulation as well as vascular structure under physiological conditions and in atherosclerosis. In addition, similar projects focus on the pathogenesis of angina of normal coronary angiograms, stable angina and acute coronary syndrome.

Acute Coronary Syndrome, Atherosclerosis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Angina