ABOUT US
The Cardiovascular Centre of the University of Lisbon (CCUL), is a biomedical research institute committed to improve the health and health care worldwide by following the standard of excellence in research, clinical care and medical education.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Europe, still responsible for over 4 million deaths per year in Europe, and an annual financial burden of 200 billion euros. In 2015 CVD caused 49% of deaths among women and 40% among men, compared with 19 and 23%, for all cancers, the second cause of death in Europe. This underlines the relevance of having strong programs in cardiovascular research and its translation into clinical practice.
CCUL encompasses a comprehensive research program in the field of cardiovascular medicine, in particular in heart failure, genetic cardiomyopathies valvular heart disease, cardiac rhythm abnormalities, ischemic heart disease, vascular diseases and cardio-oncology.
CCUL is a research unit of the Lisbon School of Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal, which is part of the Lisbon Academic Medical Centre, together with the Santa Maria University Hospital (CHULN) and the Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes. The core of CCUL is based at the new Reynaldo dos Santos Building of the Lisbon School of Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa.
In 2021, CCUL integrated the RISE, a consortium with CINTESIS, Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde, and UnIC, Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Cardiovascular – two R&D units hosted at Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP) and CI-IPOP, Centro de Investigação do Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, hosted at IPO-Porto. RISE was awarded with the title of Laboratório Associado. RISE will focus on health research and innovation, aiming to perform translational and clinical research – from preclinical and clinical stages to community level – by connecting universities to health providers, at both a regional and a national level.
MISSION
- To promote multidisciplinary science of excellence in the Cardiovascular field;
- To provide graduated teaching education and structured training programmes;
- To strength national collaborations being more competitive in attracting national funding;
- To increase worldwide scientific network to internationalize medicine, science and education, thus having global impact and being more competitive to attract diverse ranges of research funding and researchers;
- To involve society promoting scientific literacy, educating
people to prevent and reduce Cardiovascular disease
GOVERNANCE
PRESIDENT
Pinto, Fausto J., MD, PhD
Prof. Pinto graduated at Lisbon School of Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa in 1984. He did his Cardiology internship at Santa Maria Hospital – CHULN, EPE (Lisbon, Portugal), and Stanford University Medical School (CA, USA), where he was a Clinical Fellow. He was then Clinical Attending in the Echocardiography laboratory and underwent an Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at the same institution.
Full Professor of Cardiology, Head of the Cardiology Department and of the Heart and Vascular Department of Santa Maria Hospital, CHULN EPE. Dean of the Lisbon School of Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal) (2015-2018) and (2018-2022), and President of the World Heart Federation (WHF) (2021-2022), Official Spokesperson at ESC Congress 2021(2021), National Coordinator of the Medical Schools Council (2018-2020) and President of the Executive Board of the Lisbon Academic Medical Centre (CAML) (2019-2021) and Director of Lisbon Cardiovascular Institute (ICVL) since 1999.
He was the President and founder of the European Association of Echocardiography (2002-04), a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), Chairman of the CPC (Congress Program Committee) of ESC (2008-10), Chair of the European Heart Agency (2016-2018) and ESC President (2014-16). He is currently the President of the World Heart Federation (WHF) (2021-2022), and integrates the Board of the European Heart for Children.
He is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC), American College of Cardiology (FACC), American Society of Angiology (FASA), Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions (FSCAI) and the American Society of Echocardiography (FASE) and Honorary Member of several international societies, including Societé Française de Cardiologie, Sociedad Colombiana de Cardiologia, American Society of Echocardiography, Societá Italiana de Ecografia Cardiovascular, Hungarian Society of Cardiology, Japanese Circulation Society, Sociedad Peruana de Cardiologia, Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences, Romanian Society of Cardiology, Russian Society of Cardiology, and Slovakian Society of Cardiology. Recently appointed by acclamation as Honorary Member of the National Academy of Medicine of Brazil. He is the Honorary President of the International Committee for Education and Cooperation of the Italian Society of Medical Science (SISMED). Honorary Member of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (Nov 2020) and Dante Pazzanese Medal(Nov. 2020).
He was the Editor in Chief of the Portuguese Journal of Cardiology (1999-2015) and is currently Consulting Editor and Member of the Advisory and Editorial of Board of several international peer-reviewed journals, and Expert Reviewer for the European Commission. Prof. Pinto has published over 600 indexed articles and has presented over 1500 lectures/chairmanships at national and mostly international meetings.
His main areas of interest are ischemic heart disease, anticoagulation, cardiovascular imaging, particularly on the use of ultrasound in cardiology and pioneered the use of intravascular ultrasound in the study of graft atherosclerosis.
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8034-4529
Ciência ID: C311-AEDD-6DBB
Website: www.faustopinto.com
E-mail: faustopinto@medicina.ulisboa.pt
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Constantino, Susana, PhD
Executive Director
Susana Constantino Rosa Santos obtained graduation in Microbial Biology and Genetics by Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon (Portugal) in 1997. She completed her PhD in Bases Fondamentales de l’Oncogénèse at University of Paris 7 (France) in September 2001. From October 2001 and December 2004 she performed her PostDoc at Instituto Português de Oncologia, Lisbon, and Instituto Gulbenkian, Oeiras (Portugal). From 2005 she is Assistant Professor at the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. She established the Angiogenesis Unit in 2008, first in Institute of Molecular Medicine, Lisbon and from 2014 in CCUL. ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5711-1292
E-mail: sconstantino@medicina.ulisboa.pt
Zimbarra Cabrita, Inês, PhD
Co-Executive Director
Inês holds a PhD in Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London (2014). She has graduated at the Lisbon School of Health Technology, obtaining a BSc degree in Cardiopneumology (2001), after which she obtained a Masters in Medical Imaging Ultrasound (2006) and later completed a 2-years Master focused on Monitoring, Quality and Statistics at University of Ferrara, Italy (2016). ORCID ID: 0000-00033876-616X
E-mail: inescabrita@medicina.ulisboa.pt
Roque, Isabel
Administrative Manager and Project Officer
Isabel Roque graduated in Management at ESGHT, University of Algarve in 1999 and in 2015 she postgraduated in Performance and Management and Control at Catolica Lisbon School of Business and Economics Lisbon. She is a member of the Official Accountants Chamber since 2000.From 2000 to 2003 worked as accountant at HPP-Sul, S.A. (Part of Lusíadas Saúde Group). From 2003 to 2009 worked as accountant at iMM from 2009 until 2018 as project officer. Joined recently the Executive Commission of the CCUL.
E-mail: isabelroque@medicina.ulisboa.pt
Casaca, Fátima
Executive Assistant
Fátima Casaca works for CCUL as administrative assistant since 1997. She graduated at 2006 at Lisbon Institute of Engineering. She gives support at financial and administrative areas to researchers of CCUL. She also works at the Association for the Research and the Development of the Faculty and she is PA for Prof. Pinto.
E-mail: mfaticae@medicina.ulisboa.pt
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Almeida, Ana, MD, PhD (Chair)
Ana G. Almeida graduated In Medicine from the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. She obtained her PhD in Medicine/Cardiology at the FMUL (2001). Her present position is Associated Professor (2005) with Aggregation (2010). She is a Senior Consultant of Cardiology at the Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN E.P.E.(Lisbon) and the Chair of Echocardiography, CMR/CT and the Chair of the Valve Heart Clinic. She is a Fellow and the Co-chair of the CMR Certification Board, European Society of Cardiology, and the Chair of the WG Nuclear Cardiology, CMR/CT, Portuguese Society of Cardiology. ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0360-4363
E-mail: anagalmeida@gmail.com
Abreu, Ana, MD, PhD
Medical Degree (1984), Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. Cardiology Consultant Degree (2002). Coordinator of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Cardiology Department of Hospital Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Centro (2004-2017), Lisbon Portugal. Coordinator of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Cardiology Department, Santa Maria University Hospital/ Hospital Pulido Valente – CHULN E.P.E., Lisbon (2018), PhD (Cardiology) – Nova Medical School, 2016 – Beneficial effect of exercise training in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy. Assistant Professor of Cardiology of the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. Chair of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Section of EAPC (2015-2017), Past-Chair (2018). Chair of he Portuguese Working Group of Nuclear Cardiology (1999-2000). Chair of the Portuguese Working Group of Exercise Pathophysiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation (2007-2011; 2013-2017). National Coordinator for Prevention of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology (2017). ORCID: 0000-0003-0786-7830
E-mail: ananabreu@hotmail.com
Azevedo Coutinho, Conceição, MD, PhD
Medical Degree (MD) by the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (1977). PhD Degree in Medicine/Cardiology by the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (1994). Internship of Cardiology in the Department of Cardiology – Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN E.P.E, Lisbon (1982-85). Post-Doctoral Research and Clinical Fellow at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York (1985-88). Elective periods of training in Nuclear Cardiology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center (1990 and 1991; grants from Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento and Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian).
Cardiology Consultant of the Department of Cardiology – Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN E.P.E, Lisbon (since 1998). Coordinator of the TTR-V30M cardiac amyloidosis unit (since 1998). Associate Professor of the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (since 2009). Principal Investigator of the Cardiovascular Centre of the University of Lisbon (CCUL).
Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC), Member of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology. Vice President of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology (2001-2003). Member of the Working Group on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac Computed Tomography of the European Society of Cardiology and Member of the Working Group on Nuclear Cardiology, Magnetic Resonance, and Computed Tomography of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology. ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4378-0460
E-mail: cacoutinho@sapo.pt
Brito, Dulce, MD, PhD
Medical Degree (1982), Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. Senior Cardiology Consultant, Coordinator of the Cardiomyopathies outpatient Unit (2003-) and co-Coordinator of the inpatient Cardiology Unit (2008-) – Cardiology Department, Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN E.P.E., Lisbon, Portugal. Ph.D (Cardiology) – Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal, 2007 (Phenotype-Genotype relationship in familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: a longitudinal observational study). Assistant Professor of Cardiology – Lisbon University Medical School (2007-). Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (2008-). Chair of the Working Group (WG) on Myocardial and Pericardial diseases (2009-2013) of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology (PSC), National Coordinator of the Portuguese Registry on Myocarditis (2012-), member of the Nucleus of the WG on Heart Failure – PSC (1999-2003, 2015-2019), Vice-President-PSC (2013-2015). Main research areas: cardiomyopathies, heart failure and biomarkers of disease. ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1278-1847
E-mail: dulce.brito@chln.min-saude.pt
Caldeira, Daniel, MD, PhD
Daniel Caldeira has obtained his MD degree in 2010, Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal and his PhD in 2017 (Medicine/Clinical Pharmacology – Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal). Works as Auxiliary/Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacology (2017) and Auxiliary/Assistant Professor of Cardiology since 2018 (Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal).
He is specialist in Cardiology (2017) and Clinical Pharmacology (2017), both since 2017. Works as Assistant Cardiologist in Cardiology Department, Cardiology Department, Santa Maria University Hospital, CHULN, E.P.E, Lisbon, Portugal (2018-).
Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) since 2018. Member of the Nucleus of Working Group on Thrombosis and Platelets of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology (2017-). Member of the Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy (2016-). Coordinator of the Nucleolus of the Young Working Group of Thrombosis of European Society of Cardiology (2018-2019).
The main research areas are: Antithrombotic drugs; Safety of Cardiovascular drugs; Cardiovascular effects of non-cardiovascular drugs; Clinical Trials; Big data use; Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis; Outcomes research. ORCID: 0000-0002-2520-5673
E-mail: dgcaldeira@hotmail.com
Fiuza, Manuela, MD, PhD
Manuela Fiúza attended the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal and graduated in 1981. She did the fellowship of cardiology at Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN E.P.E, Lisbon and graduated in 1991. She has been working at the Department of Cardiology of Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN E.P.E, Lisbon where presently coordinates the cardiology outpatient clinic and is responsible for the cardio-oncology program. She is also a senior cardiologist at echocardiography laboratory.
In 2000, received her Ph.D. from the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. While holding a position as Professor of Cardiology, has coordinated several pre- and post- graduated projects and was rewarded with several awards for scientific research. She is a member of several scientific societies and is fellow of the European Society of Cardiology. ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7742-6195
E-mail: manuela.fiuza@gmail.com
Mendes Pedro, Luís, MD, PhD
Luís Mendes Pedro, MD, PhD, FEBVS received the MD and the PhD degrees in the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal in 1987 and 2003 respectively. Since 1997 he is a specialist in Vascular Surgery with an active clinical and surgical experience. In 2000 he also achieved approval in the European Board of Vascular Surgery examinations becoming fellow of the European Board of Vascular Surgery (FEBS). His present positions are: Associated Professor of “Vascular Surgery” and “Introduction to Clinical Medicine” at the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal; Senior consultant of Vascular Surgery practising at the Santa Maria University Hospital CHULN E.P.E., Lisbon and at the “Hospital da Luz Torres de Lisboa”, also in Lisbon; Director of the Vascular Surgery Department of Santa Maria University Hospital CHULN E.P.E., Lisbon.
The main personal research areas are: i) Vascular ultrasound characterization of the arterial wall; ii) Ultrasonographic and computer-assisted atherosclerotic plaque characterization; iii) Carotid surgery; iv) Synchronous cardiac and carotid surgery; v) Renal revascularization; vi) Aortic dissection; vii) Complex open and endovascular aortic surgery. ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4310-9324
E-mail: lmendespedro@gmail.com
Rocha, Isabel, PharmD. PhD
Isabel Rocha has as her primary area of research the human physiology with a particular focus on the autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular function. Other research interests include urinary bladder regulation, respiratory control, physiology under extreme conditions, biological signal processing, biomedical engineering, medical education together with a particular interest in strategic management of organizations for which she received advanced training in INDEG Business School in Lisbon. She is author of over 150 publications in peer reviewed journals and is member of several scientific societies. Currently is an Associate Professor with Habilitation in Medical Physiology at the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal and coordinator of the Cardiovascular Autonomic Function group of the Cardiovascular Centre of the University of Lisbon.
E-mail: isabelrocha0@gmail.com
Rosário, Luís, MD, PhD
Luís Brás Rosário did his PhD (‘Distinction and Laudation) in 2005 in Medicine and Physiology, and in 1988 his Degree in Medicine, both in the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
He is Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and he is Regent of Instrumentation and Signal Transduction of the Biomedical Engineer Course since 2015. He was a Fellow at the Cardiovascular Department, Brigham & Women Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massasuchets, USA (1995/1996)
He is currently a staff Cardiologist at the Coronary Care Unit of the Cardiology Department, Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN E.P.E, Lisbon. Since 2016 he is a Member of the TACTICS Group – Internacional Alliance for Regenerative Therapies in Cardiovascular Syndromes.
He was an Independent PosDoc at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal (2006 to 2011); and a Research Fellow at the Autonomic Nervous System Unit, Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (2002 to 2006). In 1995 he was a Research Fellow at the Department of Physiology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London.
He is a member of the American Physiological Society (Cardiovascular Section); he is also an International Fellow of the American Heart Association (Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences) and a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology – Member of the Working Groups of Myocardial Function; Cellular Biology of the Heart; Working Group of Cardiovascular Regenerative and Repair Medicine. ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0014-1543
E-mail: lsrosario@medicina.ulisboa.pt
de Sousa, João, MD
Medical Degree (1984), Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship, University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, USA (1989-91). Senior Cardiology Consultant, Coordinator of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory (2001) and Invasive Arrhythmia Unit (2004) – Cardiology Department, Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN, E.P.E., Lisbon, Portugal. Invited Professor of Cardiology and Medicine – Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (2009). President of the Portuguese Association of Arrhythmia, Pacing and Electrophysiology (2007-2009). Associate Editor, Portuguese Journal of Cardiology (2006-2015). Main research areas: Ablation therapy, Device therapy for heart failure and for sudden death prevention. ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2782-8214
E-mail : labpacing-eef@chln-min.saude.pt
SCIENTIFIC EXTERNAL ADVISORY BOARD
Bax, Jeroen J., MD, PhD
Leiden University Medical School, Leiden, Netherlands
ESC Inmediate Past-President (2018 – 2020), Jeroen Bax is Director of non-invasive imaging and Director of the echo-lab at the Leiden University Medical Center. His main interests include clinical cardiology, heart failure, cardiac resynchronization therapy and the application of all different imaging modalities to these clinical fields. Professor Bax has authored numerous papers and holds several positions in national and international scientific organizations, as well as serving on the editorial boards of many different journals.
Zamorano, J. Luis, MD, PhD
University Complutense, Madrid, Spain
José Luis Zamorano is head of the Cardiovascular Department at the Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain. He is also Professor of Medicine at the University Complutense in Madrid and Director of the Cardiovascular Imaging Unit at the University Clinic San Carlos, Madrid.
Lancellotti, Patrizio, MD, PhD
University of Liège, Hospital Center Liège, Belgium
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WORLDWIDE RESEARCH NETWORK
The Financial assistance of CCUL is assured by Associação para Investigação e Desenvolvimento da Faculdade de Medicina (AIDFM).
The scientific activity is organized according to Research Programs, incorporating Research Units, with scientific leaders and researchers. The group leaders are evaluated annually by an External Advisory Board.