Research into childhood heart disease

Dr Piers Daubeney has developed a leading international research team which has carried out three of the largest multi-institutional studies into childhood heart diseases in the world.

The UK and Ireland study of Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Septum; the National Australian Childhood Cardiomyopathy study and the UK, Ireland and Sweden study of Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection/Pulmonary Vein Stenosis have each been carried out over seven years and the results published to international acclaim.

Dr Daubeney says: “Childhood heart diseases are often rare, so it is important to carry out multi-institutional population based studies to get accurate results. As our expertise with this technique is improving, more countries have wanted to join our studies.”

International events

As a result of the UK, Ireland and Sweden study, Dr Daubeney and his team have been asked to speak at a number of prestigious international events including the World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology. He has also appeared on a panel of experts at the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans.

Publications

The studies have also resulted in a number of articles appearing in prestigious international medical journals, such as a review on Pulmonary Vein Stenosis: initial experience with cutting balloon angioplasty in Heart  2006;92 (6):815-20.

Dr Daubeney has also jointly edited Diagnosis and Management of Adult Congenital Heart Disease, which has sold 6,500 copies, been translated into a number of languages and reprinted three times. He has been commissioned by publishers Blackwell to be senior editor for a forthcoming book, Paediatric Cardiology: A Practical Guide. 

Working overseas

Before joining Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Daubeney worked in Australia and Canada. He says: “Working overseas is extremely valuable as it gives you experience of different systems and surgical strategies to bring back to the UK. This enriches debate among cardiology teams and helps us to establish risk factors for treating rare congenital heart disease.”

Teaching

A regular lecturer at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Dr Daubeney also participates in courses on Fetal Echocardiography,  Paediatric Echo Masterclass, Neonatal Cardiology and Cardiac Pathology. All are open to both UK and overseas delegates.

Dr Daubeney talks about congenital heart disease