ACC 2020 Wrap Up: An Analysis of the Late-breaking Trials

Prof Nicolas Maria Van Mieghem is an Interventional cardiologist at Thoraxcenter, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, NL decided to pursue a career that would help others. “I enjoy the feeling of being able to help someone or do something important for them". His father was a general cardiologist and one of his biggest influences early in his career.

Prof Van Mieghem initially intended to train as a cardiac surgeon but decided to specialise in interventional cardiology instead, following advice from a mentor. This decision was cemented when he read the first-in-human case report of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in Circulation by Alain Cribier in 2002. Prof Van Mieghem believes that great cardiologist genuinely cares for their patients. He names Gary Roubin, Dr Manu Malbrain and Professor Patrick Serruys among his mentors. 

His current research focuses on cerebral embolic protection during TAVI and the search for improved large bore closure devices. He works actively in expanding TAVI indications, most notably TAVI as a means to further unload the left ventricle in heart failure patients with moderate aortic stenosis (the TAVR UNLOAD trial). Prof Van Mieghem is also involved in the development and dispersion of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices as well as transcatheter mitral and tricuspid repair techniques. In terms of imaging and preprocedural planning, his research has covered computed tomography (CT)-derived 3D modelling and printing.

As well as his involvement in percutaneous coronary interventions and structural heart programs, he has published and co-authored over 350 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. Professor Van Mieghem is a principal investigator and steering committee member in multiple ongoing international trials, evaluating various coronary and transcatheter valve technologies. He is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) and is currently Medical Director of the department of Interventional cardiology at the Thorax Centre.

 Prof Van Mieghem is on the ICR3 Editorial Board.

Dr Joost Daemen is a senior interventional cardiologist at the Thorax Center, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, NL. Dr Daemen obtained his degree in medicine at the Erasmus University Medical Center. He is actively involved in several drug-eluting stent trials and is Principal Investigator of four trials focusing on the safety and efficacy of renal sympathetic denervation in hypertension, heart failure, vasospastic angina and heart failure. Dr Daemen is a member of the editorial board of EuroIntervention and the Netherlands Heart Journal, member of Young ICIN, and has completed courses in biomedical statistics and device training.