HEART FAILURE AND CARDIOMYOPATHIES
This Research Unit has being developing research activity on Heart failure and Cardiomyopathies and is formed by recognized experienced cardiologists (2 PhD), full members of the CCUL and several co-investigators (described in the team section), including a medical geneticist.
All of the researchers are directly or indirectly linked to the Lisbon School of Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal and Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN, EPE The Research Unit uses the facilities provided by the Department of Cardiology at Santa Maria University Hospital, to which all members have an open access and where most of them work on a daily basis. The group is leaded by Prof. Dulce Brito (PI), Head of the Cardiomyopathies Unit and coordinator of the Heart Failure Programme of the Cardiology Department. The scientific part of the project is being conducted by the PI and Prof. Hugo Madeira, both with particular expertise in heart failure and cardiomyopathies. The projects in both areas although linked in several aspects, have different research objectives. In cardiomyopathies, genetic characterization (in particular those patients with the hypertrophic phenotype) and the association with the evolutive phenotype (longitudinal data), are contributing to a better prognostic stratification and treatment in these diseases which are associated with a high risk of heart failure and sudden cardiac death. In the heart failure domain, and independently of its etiologies, the impact of a structured follow-up and management program beginning during the hospitalization phase and extended in the long term is being evaluated, aiming to decrease the rehospitalization and mortality rates associated with the syndrome.
RESEARCH TEAM
Brito, Dulce A., MD, PhD
GROUP LEADER
Medical Degree (1982), Lisbon School of Medicine, 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 Hospital – CHULN, EPE, Lisbon, Portugal. Ph.D (Cardiology) – Lisbon School of Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal, 2007 (Phenotype-Genotype relationship in familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: a longitudinal observational study). Assistant Professor of Cardiology – Lisbon School of Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (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
Aguiar-Ricardo, Inês, MD
Medical Degree in 2013 (NOVA Medical School, Lisbon). Cardiology Assistant at Santa Maria Hospital – CHULN E.P.E, Lisbon since 2019. Post-graduation in Sports Medicine (Faculty of Medicine of Porto University, July 2018). Cardiology Invited Assistant, NOVA Medical School, Lisbon (2014-2016). Areas of interest: heart failure and cardiomyopathies, cardiac rehabilitation, sports medicine.
Co-Researcher in Cardiovascular Exercise and Rehabilitation
E-mail: ines.ricardo@chln.min-saude.pt
Agostinho, João, MD
Medical Degree in 2012 (Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon). Cardiology Assistant at Santa Maria Hospital – CHULN, E.P.E, Lisbon (since 2019). Fellowship in Chronic Heart Failure Management – Hospital Germans Trias e Pujol, Barcelona (2018). Fellowship in Advanced Heart Failure, Cardiac Transplant and Mechanical Ventricular Assistance – Harefield Hospital, London (2018). Member of the Heart Failure Unit (RICAHFTeam) – Heart Failure Programme, Cardiology Department, CHLN, Lisboa, Portugal. Areas of interest: Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies. Researcher at the Cardiovascular Centre of the University of Lisbon (since 2018).
E-mail: joao.agostinho@chln.min-saude.pt
Guimarães, Tatiana, MD
Medical Degree 2011 (Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal). Cardiologist since October 2018. Currently Participant of the 3rd Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure– Joint collaboration between the European Heart Academy of ESC, Heart Failure Association and University of Zurich. Researcher at the Cardiology Center of the University of Lisbon (2013-). Cardiology Invited Assistant, Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (2017-). Author of 13 articles published in national and international journals. Over 150 presentations at national and international meetings. Areas of interest: heart failure and cardiomyopathies, intensive care, pulmonary hypertension.
Madeira, Hugo, MD, PhD
Madeira, Hugo, MD, PhD F.E.S.C, F.I.C.A, F.A.C.C
Investigator of the Cardiovascular Centre of the University of Lisbon – CCUL (1981/…)
(Project – Genotype-phenotype correlations in sarcomeric Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy).
Faculty of Medicine and Santa Maria University Hospital
Professor of Internal Medicine/Cardiology (1979/08). Elected Member of the Scientific Council Committee (1993/06). Member of the University Senate, representing the Faculty (2000/02). Chief of Service of Cardiology (1996/08). Founder and Coordinator of the Outpatient Cardiomyopathy Unit (2001/03).
Portuguese Medical Association
College of Cardiology, member of the Board (1985/87). Ultrasound Imaging Committee, member of the Board (1982/93). Chairman of the scientific and organizing committees of the I National Congress on Echography (1991)
Portuguese Society of Cardiology (PSC)
Founder/Co-chairman (1977/81) and Chairman (1981/85) of the Working Group on Echocardiography. Founder and Chairman (1995/99) of the Working Group on Heart Failure (WGHF). National Coordinator and principal investigator for the Euro Heart Survey on Heart Failure of the European Society of Cardiology (1999/02). National Coordinator of AC Syndromes and Coronary Revascularisation Surveys –ESC (1999/02). President of the PSC (2007/09).
European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
Member of the Task Force for the WGHF (1994/95). Member of the Nucleus of the WGHF (1998/02). Secretary of the WGHF (1999/02). European pioneer on echocardiography (Portugal) –ESC 50th anniversary, 2000. Chairman of the Scientific Committee of “Heart Failure 2005”, the first congress of the European Association on Heart Failure of the ESC, 2005. Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the “I European Congress on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases “, WGMPD, 2011. Elected member of the Audit Committee (2009/12).
Federation of the Portuguese Speaking Cardiac Societies
Founder and first President of the Federation (2016/17). Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the I Federation’s Congress, 2016.
E-mail: hcmadeira.fml.ul@sapo.pt
Mendes Pedro, Mónica, MD
Degree in Medicine in 1991 (Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal). Assistant do Professor since 1998 at Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. Specialist in Cardiology since 1999, working at the Cardiology Department of Santa Maria Hospital – CHULN, E.P.E., Lisbon. Responsible for post graduate training and supervision since 1999. Cardiology consultant since 2012. Coordinator of the Inpatient Cardioloy Unit since 2014. Coordinator of the Quality Unit of the Heart and Vessels Department since 2017. Coordinator of the Medical Internship of the Cardiology Department since 2018. Member of the Heart Failure Unit (RICAHFTeam) – Heart Failure Programme, Cardiology Department, CHULN, Lisboa, Portugal. Researcher at the Cardiology Center of the University of Lisbon. Member of the Multidisciplinary Smoking Committee of the Portugeuse Society of Pneumology. Member of the Board of the Working Group on Cardiovascylar Risk of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology. Author and co-author of scientific articles published in national and international journals and presented at conferences in the field of Cardiology. Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator in several multicentre clinical trials in the area of Cardioloy. Areas of interest: Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies; Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Prevention; Atherosclerosis.
E-mail: monica.pedro@chln.min-saude.pt
Moldovan, Oana, MD
Degree in Medicine from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Romania, with recognition from the Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.Specialist in Medical Genetics at the Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN, working in the Genetics Unit, Department of Pediatrics. Performs the Cardiogenetic Consultation for patients and families with histories of cardiovascular diseases: congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathies, aortopathies, arrhythmic diseases, sudden cardiovascular death and hereditary dyslipidemias, including familial hypercholesterolemia. Collaborates in Cardiomyopathy Consultation of the Cardiology Department. Author and co-author of scientific articles published in national and international journals and presented at conferences in the field of Genetics.
E-mail: moldovan.oana@gmail.com
Nunes-Ferreira, Afonso, MD
Medical Degree in 2014 (Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal). Cardiology training at Santa Maria Hospital – CHULN, E.P.E, Lisbon (since 2016). Pathophysiology assistant at Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (since 2015). Researcher at the Cardiology Center of the University of Lisbon (since 2018).
Pires da Cunha, Nelson, MD
Master Medical Degree in 2015 ( Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal). Cardiology training at CHLN – Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN, E.P.E., Lisbon (2017-). Areas of interest: heart failure and cardiomyopathies, cardiac rehabilitation and sports medicine.
E-mail: nelson.cunha@chln.min-saude.pt
Reis Silva, Doroteia, MD
Medical Degree in 2006 ( Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal). Cardiology training at Santa Maria Hospital, Hospital – CHULN, E.P.E., Lisbon, Portugal (2008-2013) and cardiologist since 2013. Advanced heart failure and heart transplantation fellowship at 12 de Octubre University Hospital, Madrid (2012). Intensive Care Medicine (second Medical Speciality) training at Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN, E.P.E., Lisbon, Portugal, Lisbon (2015-2017). Cardiologist and Intensivist since 2017. Post-graduation in Heart Failure (Heart Failure Association – European Society of Cardiology, October 2015). Researcher at the Cardiovascular Centre of the University of Lisbon (2010- ). Cardiology Invited Assistant, Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (2013- ). Author of 18 articles published in national and international indexed peer review journals. Over 150 presentations at national and international meetings. Areas of interest: heart failure and cardiomyopathies, intensive care and pulmonary hypertension.
E-mail: dojreis@hotmail.com
Rigueira, Joana, MD
Medical Degree in 2013 ( Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal). Cardiology Assistant at Santa Maria Hospital – CHULN, E.P.E., Lisbon since 2020. Researcher at the Cardiology Center of the University of Lisbon (2014- until present). Cardiology Invited Assistant, Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa (2016-2018). Areas of interest: heart failure and cardiomyopathies, cardiovascular imaging.
E-mail: joana.rigueira@chln.min-saude.pt
Rodrigues, Tiago, MD
Master medical Degree in 2015 ( Lisbon School of Medicine of the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal). Cardiology training at Santa Maria Hospital – CHULN, E.P.E., Lisbon (2017-). Areas of interest: heart failure and cardiomyopathies.
Co-Researcher in Structural and Coronary Heart Disease
Santos, Rafael, MD
Medical Degree in 2014 (Faculty of Medicine of Lleida University, Spain). Cardiology resident at Santa Maria University Hospital – CHULN, E.P.E, Lisbon, Portugal (since 2016). Researcher at the Cardiology Center of the University of Lisbon (since 2017). Areas of interest: heart failure, cardiomyopathies.
E-mail: rafael.santos@chln.min-saude.pt