Dr. Robert Labralestier completed medical school at the University of Sydney and subsequently sought a career in surgery completing his cardiothoracic surgical training in 1990. Following post-graduate fellowships at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston USA he returned to consultant practice in Australia. His fellowships were focused on advanced techniques in mitral valve and aortic valve surgery, transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, and paediatric cardiac surgery. Dr Larbalestier has been in consultant cardiothoracic surgical practice for almost 30 years and has extensive experience in all areas of adult cardiothoracic surgical practice. He is currently medically registered through AHPRA and holds appropriate specialist qualifications with the Royal Australian College of Surgeons. He is an Adjunct Professor Murdoch University and Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia and has actively participated in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels throughout my career. He has mentored numerous medical students, surgical trainees and overseas fellows. In 2019 Dr Larbalestier was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia, AO, for his contributions to Cardiothoracic Surgery and Professional Societies throughout his career.

Before joining The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) as the Division Head of Cardiovascular Surgery in 2019, David Barron was the Senior Cardiac Surgeon at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, UK. David had been a consultant (staff) at Birmingham Children’s Hospital since 1999. He graduated from St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, and had his cardiothoracic training at Papworth Hospital, Southampton, the Royal Brompton Hospital and Great Ormond Street. During his residency, he obtained a doctorate (MD) from Imperial College, London in biomechanical cardiac assist. He is dual qualified in both internal medicine and in cardiothoracic surgery. He was the lead for Congenital Cardiac Training in the UK and has been on the Executive of the British and European Cardiothoracic Societies. David was also a consultant at the Queen Elizabeth, University Hospital Birmingham for Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery and Honorary Professor at the Department of Child Health, University of Birmingham.

Dr. Devereaux is a cardiologist, perioperative care physician, and clinical epidemiologist. He is the Director of the Division of Perioperative Care at McMaster University. He is a Senior Scientist and the Scientific Leader of the Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine, and Surgical Research Group at the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI). Dr. Devereaux is a full Professor at McMaster University. He is the President of the Society of Perioperative Research and Care. Dr. Devereaux is the nominated Principal Applicant of the Pan-Canadian Accelerated Clinical Trials (ACT) Consortium, and he is the CEO and Scientific Director of the World Health Research Trust.

Associate Professor John Amerena trained in Melbourne before spending four years in the United States at the University of Michigan. Over that period of time he worked in the fields of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, before returning to Australia where he is now a Cardiologist at Barwon Health. He currently has a joint appointment in the Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Melbourne and the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at Monash University. He is the director of the Geelong Cardiology Research Unit, which is currently involved in many phase II-III clinical trials. While still actively researching in hypertension, his focus has changed to research in antithrombotic/antiplatelet therapies, particularly in the context of acute coronary syndromes and atrial fibrillation. Heart failure is also a major interest, and he is also the Director of the Heart Failure Programme at Barwon Health.

Associate Professor Kavitha Muthiah is a clinical and academic cardiologist specialising in Advanced Heart Failure, Mechanical Circulatory Support and Heart Transplant at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney with conjoint appointments at UNSW and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. She is current council representative for Transplant Society of Australia and New Zealand. Following her Phd studies, she completed three additional clinical fellowships in London, UK and in Melbourne. She has served as on consensus statements for the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplant (ISHLT). She has been recipient of the ISHLT Award in MCS Translational Research being the first female and first Australian recipient of this international award. In 2018, she was recipient of the Heart Foundation Innovation Award. She is current supervisor of PhD and honours students with over 50 peer-reviewed publications.