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Reconnect with Professor Magdi Yacoub
Ep. 4
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Educated in his natal Egypt, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub made his name at Harefield Hospital to become one of the world’s most eminent cardiothoracic surgeons. In 1983, he achieved worldwide recognition for performing the first heart and lung transplant in Europe and went on to develop many groundbreaking procedures. At Harefield, he established what was to become one of the largest and most successful heart and lung transplant units in the world.
Join us as we discuss not only his over 60 years at our hospitals, but also his crucial role in research and cardiac surgery advances worldwide.
Professor Yacoub was knighted for his services to medicine in 1991 and in 2014 he was granted the Order of Merit by Her Majesty the Queen.
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7. Reconnect with Professor Richard Underwood
24:18||Ep. 7Educated at Oxford University, Professor Richard Underwood has dedicated his career to advancing the field of cardiac imaging and improving outcomes for patients with heart disease. His research and teaching have influenced generations of clinicians, combining scientific innovation with a deep commitment to patient care. His work has helped bridge the gap between imaging science and everyday clinical practice, shaping how we understand and manage heart disease today.Join us as we discuss not only his over 40 years at our hospitals, but also his crucial role in developing and applying nuclear and cardiac imaging techniques that have transformed diagnosis and treatment in cardiology.
6. Reconnect with Dr Fernando Riesgo Gil
20:29||Ep. 6Dr Fernando Riesgo Gil has been a consultant cardiologist at Harefield Hospital for a decade. He is also the clinical lead for heart transplantation. Dr Riesgo Gil graduated from the School of Medicine at the Autonoma University in Madrid, Spain. He completed his specialty training in cardiology at the Hospital Universitario de la Princesa in Madrid. In 2013, Dr Riesgo Gil spent two years at the Mazankowski Heart Institute of the University of Alberta in Canada. He then joined the Royal Brompton to do a fellowship in adult congenital heart disease. At Harefield, he specialises in heart failure, heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support. Join us as we discuss his over 10 years at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals.
5. Reconnect with Alison Pottle
21:39||Ep. 5Alison Pottle became one of the first cardiology nurse consultants in the UK at Harefield Hospital in June 2000. In this position, she has played a pivotal role in developing and leading innovative nurse-led services, particularly in cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention. She has been a passionate advocate for patient-centred care and multidisciplinary collaboration, helping to improve recovery and long-term outcomes for her patients. Join us as we discuss not only her over 40 years at Harefield Hospital, but also her views on how the nursing profession has evolved. Her work has earned her recognition within the healthcare community, including the Silver Award in the Cardiovascular Nurse of the Year category at the British Journal of Nursing Awards in 2023.
3. Reconnect with Professor Anita Simonds
21:15||Ep. 3Professor Anita Simonds joined the Royal Brompton Hospital in the 1980s as an SHO, and has been associated with it to this date. She has been instrumental in developing respiratory and sleep medicine at the Royal Brompton, and in turn influencing the care delivered to patients all over the world.Join us as we discuss not only her time at our hospital, but also her crucial role in informing the UK’s clinical response to the COVID-19 pandemic, during her tenure as President of the European Respiratory Society.Professor Simonds has received the Margaret Pfrommer Medal from the American College of Chest Physicians for her contributions to long-term mechanical ventilation, and the British Thoracic Society Medal for her contributions to respiratory medicine.
2. Reconnect with Professor John Pepper
31:18||Ep. 2Educated at Cambridge University and Guy’s Hospital, Professor John Pepper was a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the London Chest Hospital and St George’s Hospital before moving to the Brompton in 1991. His Brompton career as a consultant cardiac surgeon spanned over 30 years Join us as we discuss not only his time at our hospital, but also his crucial role in research and cardiac surgery advances worldwide. In June 2015, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to heart and lung surgery, in Her Majesty the Queen's birthday honours. 
1. Reconnect with Professor Sir Malcolm Green
28:34||Ep. 1Professor Malcolm Green has been associated with the Royal Brompton Hospital in different capacities for over 55 years. From becoming a respiratory SHO, and being appointed a consultant respiratory physician, to serving as a Non-Executive Director.Join us as we discuss not only his time at our hospital, but also his role setting up the British Lung Foundation, his time as Dean of the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI), and his secondments at the Department of Health and Imperial College among others.Professor Green is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science and was knighted in 2007 for his contributions to medicine.