Executive Steering Committee

Professor Buch is a Professor of Rheumatology, Director of Experimental Medicine at the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Manchester, NIHR Senior Investigator and lead on the ‘Advanced Diagnostics & Therapeutics Catalyst’ cluster at the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre. Professor Buch’s areas of research interest include clinical and experimental research in targeted therapies in RA, systemic sclerosis, and cardiovascular pathology in immune-mediated inflammatory disease – employing multi-modal approaches to phenotype cardiovascular involvement in people with IMIDs and examine the effect of targeted therapies of IMIDs on cardiovascular pathology.

Professor Dweck is Chair of Clinical Cardiology, British Heart Foundation Senior Clinical Research Fellow and a consultant cardiologist at the University of Edinburgh. He is also a Vice President Elect of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. Professor Dweck’s primary area of research interest is the use of multi-modality imaging (echocardiography, CT, CMR, PET) to improve understanding of cardiovascular pathophysiology with a particular focus on coronary atherosclerosis, aortic stenosis and cardiomyopathy.

Professor Ferreira is a Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Deputy Clinical Director of the Oxford Clinical Centre for Magnetic Resonance Research and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at the University of Oxford. She is the current Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) Treasurer Secretary 2024-2025, in line to succeed to SCMR President in 2026. Professor Ferreira’s primary area of research interest is quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, particularly myocardial tissue characterisation, converging with MR physics technical development towards clinical translation of parametric mapping methods.

Professor Mallat is the British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Cambridge. Professor Mallat’s areas of research interest centre around atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, and aortic aneurysm and dissection, in particular investigating the impact of innate and adaptive immune responses in disease initiation and progression, and the impact of autoimmune diseases on these conditions. Professor Mallat’s basic science research is complemented by proof-of-concept clinical trials in patients with coronary artery disease.

Professor O’Regan is an MRC investigator, BHF Chair of Cardiovascular AI and Consultant Radiologist who leads the Computational Cardiac Imaging Group at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences. He is also Director for Imaging Research at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and a Theme co-lead for Imperial’s BHF Centre of Research Excellence Executive Committee. Professor O’Regan’s primary area of research interest is focussed on leveraging machine learning to discover mechanisms underpinning common cardiovascular diseases through integration of human imaging, genetic and environmental risk factor data. This includes development of algorithms for predicting human survival from cardiac motion and understanding how complex traits influence the risk of heart failure.

Professor Plein is a Professor of Cardiology and British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular Imaging at the University of Leeds, leading the Department of Biomedical Imaging Science since 2017. Professor Plein’s primary area of research interest is cardiovascular imaging, in particular cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). His work has encompassed the development and clinical translation of quantitative CMR methods in a range of clinical indications, including in immune mediated inflammatory diseases.

Dr Tarkin is a Wellcome Clinical Research Career Development Fellow at the Heart & Lung Research Institute of the University of Cambridge, and an Honorary Consultant Cardiologist with an imaging sub-specialty. He is also a Junior Research Fellow at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, and serves on the Executive Committees of the British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging and the British Atherosclerosis Society. By applying novel multimodality and molecular imaging methods, coupled with immune profiling and interventional studies, Dr Tarkin’s research aims to discover new diagnostic and therapeutic avenues for patients with atherosclerosis, large-vessel vasculitis, and other important cardiovascular-inflammatory diseases.

Dr Youngstein is a consultant Rheumatologist at the Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, an honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London, Co-Director of the Imperial College London Centre of Excellence for Vasculitis Research and lead on the Large Vessel Vasculitis and Rare disease clinic at the Hammersmith Hospital. Dr Youngstein’s areas of research interest include cardiac inflammation and rheumatic diseases of the heart, hyperinflammation syndromes, periodic fever and vasculitis.

Mr Lawrence is Partnership Manager for the UK CARDIO-IMID Partnership. With a background in Biochemistry and Translational Research in the Oncology space at the University of Exeter and King’s College London, Mr Lawrence is now leveraging these skillsets in the running and management of the UK CARDIO-IMID Partnership across all workstreams.

Ms Reeves is Study Coordinator for the UK CARDIO-IMID Registry Study. With a background in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Manchester, Ms Reeves is now leveraging these skillsets in oversight and coordination of the Workstream 2 Registry Study.