The UK CARDIO‑IMID Partnership is delighted to celebrate the successful completion of the first two placements delivered through the UK CARDIO‑IMID Travel Fellowship Scheme, marking an important milestone in our commitment to developing the next generation of cardio‑rheumatology clinicians and researchers.
Established to support skills development, knowledge exchange and collaboration between centres, the scheme provides healthcare professionals with the opportunity to undertake short placements at leading UK institutions, gaining experience in areas that can be translated back into clinical practice and research within their home organisations.
The first fellowship was completed by Dr Tha Htet Nyi, who undertook a two-week placement at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals under the supervision of Dr Pankaj Garg. During the placement, Dr Nyi gained hands-on experience in advanced 4D-flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), developing expertise across the imaging workflow from acquisition through to analysis. The fellowship is already supporting ongoing cardio‑rheumatology research at Barts Heart Centre and helping to strengthen collaborative links across the UK CARDIO‑IMID network.
“This placement provided invaluable hands-on experience in 4D-flow CMR and has significantly strengthened my PhD work. Learning directly from an expert multidisciplinary team has been incredibly valuable, and I am looking forward to applying these techniques and sharing this expertise at my home institution.”
More recently, Dr Shabnam Tariq from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals completed a one-week placement at Hammersmith Hospital, hosted by Dr Taryn Youngstein. The placement provided exposure to specialist cardio‑rheumatology, vasculitis and imaging services, deepening her understanding of cardiovascular complications in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and the role of multimodality imaging in patient management. The experience has already contributed to plans for a cross-site audit comparing cardiovascular risk assessment across rheumatic diseases.
“This taster week was truly career-defining and further confirmed my aspiration to pursue rheumatology with a specialist interest in cardio-rheumatology.”
These fellowships demonstrate the value of creating opportunities for clinicians and researchers to learn from leading centres, develop new skills and establish lasting professional networks. The placements have already generated new collaborations, research ideas and knowledge-sharing activities that will benefit both host and home institutions.
The Partnership would like to thank Dr Tha Htet Nyi, Dr Shabnam Tariq, Dr Pankaj Garg and Dr Taryn Youngstein for their contribution to the success of the scheme. We are proud to have facilitated these opportunities and look forward to supporting future fellows as we continue to strengthen the UK's cardio‑rheumatology community.
Interested in applying or hosting a fellow?
Visit our Training page to learn more about the UK CARDIO‑IMID Travel Fellowship Scheme
