The 11th annual Paul Wood Lecture, held recently at the National Heart and Lung Institute, has highlighted the importance of the Trust’s work in the field of congenital heart disease (CHD) research.
The lecture, part of the annual Paul Wood Lecture series hosted jointly by Royal Brompton Hospital and Imperial College London, was given by Carole Warnes, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Mayo Clinic in the USA.
Professor Warnes, herself an international leader in the field of CHD, praised the Trust’s contribution to research and patient care and spoke about major advances in the field, both in the UK and internationally.
Professor Warnes also spoke about the growing need for further specialists to care for patients with CHD, and paid tribute to patients and their families, highlighting the lifelong nature of the disease.
Professor Michael Gatzoulis, academic head for CHD at the Trust, said: “This year’s lecture highlighted the major contributions the Trust has made in the field of CHD, both in the past and ongoing. This has timed well with NHS England’s decision to allow us to continue to provide state-of-the-art care for our patients and build further on our national and international leadership role in this growing cardiovascular field.
“CHD is the most common inborn defect, affecting 1 per cent of newborns - a truly global disease. Our team at the Trust addresses this global need, not only by providing excellent patient care, but also by leading in research and education.”
The Paul Wood Lecture series was founded in honour of Dr Paul Wood, a renowned cardiologist in the 1950s and physician in charge of the cardiac department at the then Brompton Hospital. Dr Wood was at the forefront of modern cardiology and was known worldwide for his skill both as a clinical cardiologist and educator. His book, Diseases of the heart and circulation, is a classic.