Ross Arena is Professor and Head of the Department of Physical at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Arena received his B.S. in Human Performance from Southern Connecticut State University in 1993. He went on to receive his M.S. in Physical Therapy in 1997 and Ph.D. in Physiology in 2001 from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Arena is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology, Royal Medical Society, and American College of Sports Medicine. He has led the successful implementation of several innovative healthy living initiatives in the academic, clinical, and community settings, most recently founding the Healthy Living for Pandemic Event Protection (HL-PIVOT) network. Dr. Arena’s scholarly interests include: 1) Exercise testing and training in patients diagnosed with cardiopulmonary disease/dysfunction; and 2) Healthy living initiatives that promote the healthspan. Dr. Arena has published extensively in these areas with over 1100 peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and book chapters. In a recent publication, Dr. Arena was recognized as “the most prolific and co-cited co-author” in the field of cardiopulmonary exercise testing from 2002-2021 (www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2022.982351/full).

A registered nurse for more than 20 years, Diana Baptiste specializes in cardiovascular care and prevention. Her sustained scholarship focuses on cardiovascular health across the care continuum for underserved populations, grounded in responding to social justice issues influencing health outcomes. Through funded projects, she has served in the role of principal and co-investigator to advance cardiovascular care and reduce health disparities. Her work in identifying cardiovascular disease risks among Black populations has been nationally recognized through the American Heart Association EPIǀLifestyle Council. She has published peer-reviewed papers in the areas of cardiovascular disease, nursing education, diversity, and cultural humility. Dr. Baptiste is a certified nurse educator whose teaching is grounded in cutting-edge, evidence-based instructional methods with a strong commitment to health equity in practice, research, scholarship, and academic service. She is an exemplary integrated scholar who is committed to transforming patient care as well as supporting nurses of the future. Dr. Baptiste is the principal faculty for the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing’s Center for Cardiovascular and Chronic Care, guiding continuing education programs and dissemination of research from students, faculty, and international collaborators. Dr. Baptiste also demonstrates influential leadership in several professional organizations including the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and is a fellow and board member of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association.

Alex is an Aboriginal clinician/researcher who has worked his entire career in Aboriginal health in the provision of public health services, chronic disease care, health care policy and research. His transdisciplinary program of research focuses on documenting the burden and contributors to health inequality in Indigenous Australians, with a primary focus on cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and cancer. In 2022 he will took up a new position as Professor of Indigenous Genomics for Telethon Kids Institute and ANU.

Vicki Wade is a senior Noongar woman with over 40 years of experience in health at state and national levels. Vicki is a recipient of multiple national awards including the 2019 AHHA Sidney Sax medal and CSANZ Indigenous Health lifetime award for her contributions to Australian health services policy, delivery and research, particularly in relation to Indigenous heart health. Vicki is well known across Australia and is well respected for the work she has done in helping to close the gap. She sits on the National Close the Gap steering committee and a previous board member of the Congress of Aboriginal Nurses and Midwives.

Professor Andrew Maiorana is a clinician researcher with over 30 years’ experience working in cardiac rehabilitation. He is the Head of Department of Exercise Physiology at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, where he provides clinical exercise testing and training as a component of multidisciplinary cardiac rehabilitation and heart failure services. He also holds the position of Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University. Andrew’s research focuses on optimising exercise testing and training in cardiovascular disease and evaluating new approaches for clinical service delivery. He has a strong interest in the potential of digital health to improve cardiovascular disease prevention and management, and a passion for working with Aboriginal communities to improve cardiovascular health through accessible and culturally appropriate models of care.