Advances in Cardiovascular Science and Medicine Through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion supported by Education, Research, and Technology Innovation

This cardiovascular conference was the first joint meeting between the North American Section of the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences (IACS) and the International Society for Heart Research (ISHR).

Overcoming many logistical challenges to bring together the top cardiovascular scientists, clinical cardiologists, research fellows and trainees from around the globe, the conference featured dedicated programs and workshops on women’s heart health and women in science programs, as well as programs to support the professional development of early career and mid-career investigators.

Organizers were pleased to host a veritable who’s-who of international cardiovascular expertise right here in Winnipeg, including Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz, Director, Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars Sinai, Los Angeles, California; Dr. Joseph Hill, Division Chief, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s Division of Cardiology and Director of the Harry S. Moss Heart Center, Dallas, Texas; and Dr. Ramesh Goyal, Vice Chancellor, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, New Delhi, India.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Bairey Merz, shared her mission to close the knowledge gap and approach to addressing cardiovascular disease in women, through research, clinical care, and educational programs to teach women and healthcare providers about the importance of early diagnosis and recognizing different forms of heart disease in women to provide better healthcare.

“It was inspiring to hear Dr. Bairey Merz share her experiences and vision to expand women’s heart healthcare to address many of the major deficiencies in treatment and diagnosis,” Kirshenbaum said. “To that end, we are pursuing the capital investment and development of a women’s heart health centre right here in Winnipeg, as part of the St. Boniface Hospital’s well-known reputation for cardiac care in the province of Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.”

The conference scientific program was comprised of 27 scientific symposia, 10 named lectureships, and 118 poster presentations with 350 attendees. The conference attracted world experts in cardiovascular medicine from 11 different countries including Canada, USA, Brazil, Israel, Argentina, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Chile, Turkey, France and India.

“One of the pillars of this conference was to provide an opportunity for early and mid-career trainees to meet with cardiovascular leaders in person and participate in symposia featuring superb scientific content and knowledge translation. The conference was a spectacular success, and the large number of international scientists that came to Winnipeg to attend reflects the high calibre of research taking place here at St. Boniface Hospital” commented Dr. Michael Czubryt, Executive Director of Research, St. Boniface Hospital.

In addition, the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences in partnership with the University of Manitoba held its 24th Annual 2022 Naranjan Dhalla Cardiovascular Awards Ceremony during the course of the three-day conference. The awards day celebrates excellence in cardiovascular medicine, research and education with a focus on students’ contributions, as well as individuals who have made outstanding contributions in support services. The awards are named after iconic leaders in Manitoba that include Dr. R.E. Beamish, Mr. Ken Bowman, Dr. John Foerster, Dr. Vincenzo Panagia, Mr. Jack Litvack, Dr. Arnold Naimark, Dr. Henry Friesen, Sr. Jacqueline St-Yves, Mr. Ken Dhalla, Dr. James S. McGoey, Dr. T. Edward Cuddy, and ICS Gold Medals which recognize the outstanding leadership in cardiovascular sciences were presented to Drs. Bohuslav Ostadal, Prague, Czech Republic, Ranko Škrbić, Banja Luka, Bosnia and C. Noel Bairey Merz, Los Angeles, California.

The award presentations were made by Drs. Kirshenbaum and Czubryt (see below).