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RISE 2025

Agenda

Leadership on the Global Stage

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The RISE agenda has been thoughtfully designed to provide a global perspective on leadership for women in cardiology. While gender parity is increasing among trainees entering cardiovascular medicine, the number of women in leadership positions remains critically low. RISE aims to equip women in cardiology with the non-clinical skills essential to career advancement.

RISE @ ESC Congress 2025 brings together an exceptional faculty of global leaders, including Program Directors Dr. Roxana Mehran, Dr. María Rubini, and Dr. Liesl Zühlke. Participants will gain invaluable insights, strategic perspectives, and the inspiration needed to chart their own course toward leadership. View the full agenda below.

RISE @ ESC Congress 2025 will:

  • Provide opportunities for mentorship from top leaders in cardiovascular medicine and research
  • Grow each participant’s network of support and open doors to future opportunities
  • Showcase what Women As One, ESC, WHF, and other organizations are doing around the world to support women in medicine and improve cardiovascular care
  • Identify areas of need and prioritize initiatives that address specific regional challenges
Photo of panel discussion at RISE @ ESC Congress 2024

Leadership on the Global Stage in 2025

8:00am – 8:30am

Registration and Breakfast

8:30am – 8:35am

Welcome Remarks

MC Dr. Sarah Birkhoelzer and RISE Program Directors Dr. Roxana Mehran, Dr. María Rubini and Dr. Liesl Zühlke.

8:35am – 8:45am

Opening Remarks and RISE Partnership

Jean-François Riffaud, European Society of Cardiology and Borjana Pervan, World Heart Federation.

8:45am – 9:35am

House of Cardiology Roundtable – Working Together to Put Gender Equity Front and Center

This session will explore how leading societies in cardiovascular medicine can support and elevate the work of women physicians.

Moderators: Dr. Roxana Mehran and María Rubini
Participants: Dr. Chris Kramer (American College of Cardiology); Dr. Thomas Lüscher (European Society of Cardiology); Dr. Athena Poppas (World Heart Federation); Dr. Stacey Rosen (American Heart Association).

9:35am – 10:30am

Heart Talk with the Global Community – Solutions in Practice

In this session, we’ll hear from working physicians about the unique challenges facing women in cardiology in their region of the globe, and discuss targeted solutions and opportunities for growth.

Moderator: Dr. Barbara Casadei
Participants: Dr. Carla Agatiello (South America); Dr. Nouf Alanazi (Middle East); Dr. Sonya Burgess (Australia/New Zealand); Dr. Dipti Itchhaporia (North America); Dr. Vijay Kunadian (Europe); Dr. Sarita Rao (Asia); Dr. Liesl Zühlke (Africa).

10:30am – 10:45am

Morning Coffee Break

10:45am – 12:15pm

Situational Strategies for Success: Live Coaching Session with Actors

An interactive session addressing three unique kinds of leadership: managing up, managing down, and managing across. Attendees will use live polling functions to report specific professional challenges they are facing, and an executive coach will do a live role-play session addressing some of the most commonly reported concerns.

Facilitator: Milly Sinclair, Executive Coach

12:15pm – 1:30pm

Lunch Symposia

Attendees will be able to choose to attend one of two available symposia.

  • Championing Women’s Heart Health: A Call to Action, sponsored by Medtronic
    Hear from a panel of experts as they explore inclusive clinical trial designs and the unmet needs in women’s heart health and discuss a community-wide call to action on how we can each play a role in transforming care for women around the world.
    Panelists: Dr. Mirvat Alasnag, Dr. Kendra Grubb, Dr. Pam Rajendran Taub, and Dr. Joanna Wykrzykowska.
  • Advancing Gender Equity In Cardiology for Medical Professionals and Patients, sponsored by Daiichi Sankyo.
    The session will explore how industry can actively support women in academia and clinical practice; building visibility and leadership through peer collaboration and personal branding and the importance of gender-specific approaches in CVD prevention and treatment.
    Speakers: Professor Lina Badimon, Dr. Leticia Fernandez Friera, Professor Vijay Kunadian, and Neil Johnson. Moderated by Dr. Julia Brandts.

1:30pm – 3:30pm

Speed Mentoring sessions

Featuring a diverse panel of accomplished senior leaders in cardiovascular medicine, this dynamic session connects participants one-on-one with experienced mentors for focused, high-impact conversations designed to provide personalized guidance on career advancement and navigating challenges.  Participants will rotate through multiple brief mentoring conversations, gaining diverse perspectives and actionable insights from leaders who understand the unique journey of women cardiologists. Mentors will share contact information for ongoing support beyond the conference.

Faculty: Dr. Carla Agatiello; Dr. Barbara Casadei; Dr. Irene Fernandez-Ruiz; Dr. Alessia Gimelli; Dr. Roxana Mehran; Dr. Jennifer Mieres; Dr. Athena Poppas; Dr. Clara Saldarriaga; Dr. Antonia Sambola; Dr. Liesl Zühlke.

3:30pm – 3:45pm

Coffee Break

3:45pm – 4:30pm

Industry Panel

A discussion on how industry can support gender equity on a regional and global scale.

Moderator: Dr. Dipti Itchhaporia
Participants: Dr. Jeanine Cordova, Global Medical Director, Obesity Team, Amgen; Dr. Kendra Grubb, VP and CMO of Structural Heart, Medtronic; Dr. Carol Pitcher Towner, SVP, Head of Development Programs, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals; Doris Pommi, SVP, Cardiovascular Care, Siemens Healthineers.

4:30pm – 5:15pm

The Anatomy of a Great Manuscript

Journal editors from the Lancet, NEJM, EHJ, and more will answer questions on how to maximize the impact of published scientific research.

Moderator: Dr. Faiez Zannad
Participants: Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo (JAMA); Flavia Geraldes (The Lancet); Dr. Alessia Gimelli (European Heart Journal); Dr. Joseph Hill (Circulation); Dr. Jane Leopold (New England Journal of Medicine); Dr. Gregory Lim (Nature Reviews Cardiology); Dr. Sonia Muliyil (The Lancet).

5:15pm – 5:30pm

Closing Remarks and Future Steps Forward

RISE Program Directors Dr. Roxana Mehran, Dr. María Rubini and Dr. Liesl Zühlke.

Don’t Miss Out – Register Now!

Registration is open for those working in cardiology and cardiovascular subspecialties. Please note that RISE registration is separate from ESC Congress registration and operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

Photo of attendees at RISE @ ESC Congress 2024

Related FAQs

A few words from our community

The RISE meeting at ESC Congress was amazing. It focused on professional development for women in cardiology in a seminar-type format with hands-on role-playing sessions. Such an inspiring and practical experience – thank you very much to the organisers!

Professor Martine Gilard, MD, PhD, FESC
Emeritus Professor of Cardiology, Brest University, France
Prof Martine Gilard headshot

The second edition of the RISE Conference was phenomenal! I left the conference with a full heart, confidence and many tools to navigate the cardio world as a woman!

Alexandra Bastiany, MD FRCPC DRCPSC
Interventional Cardiologist, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Canada
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I could not imagine a better start to this year’s ESC Congress in London than with RISE @ ESC Congress 2024. Thank you Women As One and the European Society of Cardiology for this absolutely amazing day. This kind of perfectly framed and sincere female empowerment makes me see a bright future a lot clearer. I can’t wait for the next RISE event to come.

Dr. Julia Lueg
Cardiology resident, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité, Berlin, Germany
Dr Julia Lueg headshot

Incredible day talking mentorship, negotiation & conflict resolution, & changing institutional culture so that women in cardiology can rise! Met some truly inspiring women from across the globe.

Elizabeth Epstein, MD
Chief Cardiology Fellow, Scripps Integrative Cardiology, USA
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