AI, advocacy, and women’s cardiovascular health on ICS agenda

The upcoming Annual Scientific Meeting of the Irish Cardiac Society will feature distinguished speakers sharing the latest evidence in the field of cardiology

The Irish Cardiac Society (ICS) Annual Scientific Meeting and AGM is the largest gathering of the Irish cardiology profession each year, attracting hundreds of delegates. The meeting delivers a varied scientific programme comprising of expert keynote presentations, showcasing of selected abstracts, training programme updates, and interactive sessions.

The event, which facilitates the meetings of the Irish Atherosclerosis Society, the Irish Nurses Cardiovascular Association and the Irish Clinical Physiologists, is an excellent networking opportunity for members and all healthcare professionals working in cardiology, who come together to share information and knowledge.

This year’s meeting will take place at the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney, Co Kerry, on 16-18 October. ICS President Prof Brendan McAdam told the Medical Independent: “I’m very much looking forward to welcoming ICS members, faculty, and invited guests to Killarney next month. Our 76th Annual Scientific Meeting offers a valuable platform to showcase new and emerging cardiovascular research, alongside keynote presentations from leading international experts.”

He added: “This year, we’re honoured to welcome Prof Garret FitzGerald, who will deliver the prestigious Stokes Lecture, and Dr Robert Califf, who will speak on the timely topic, ‘Tackling the tsunami of cardiovascular disease in tumultuous times’.” He added that an Honorary Fellowship of the Society will be awarded to 11 recipients.

“Beyond the scientific programme, the meeting is a wonderful opportunity for colleagues and friends in cardiology to reconnect and engage in what promises to be another informative and enjoyable ICS meeting for all.” The ICS scientific programme will open on 17 October with a welcome address from Prof McAdam. An update on management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy will be provided by Dr Carolyn Ho, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, US. Dr Ho is the author of over 30 peer-reviewed publications. Her research focuses on characterising early phenotypes of sarcomere mutations in inherited cardiomyopathies and developing clinical trials to diminish the progression of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Later in the morning there will be an international session on women and cardiovascular disease featuring speakers Dr Sandra Lewis (American College of Cardiology); Prof Cecilia Linde (European Society of Cardiology); and Prof Andre Ng (British Cardiovascular Society).

The event will also feature the Brian Maurer Young Investigator Award 2025. The Award is aimed at promising early career investigators to encourage and promote quality and original research in cardiology. The award is named in honour of the late Dr Brian Maurer who was President of the ICS from 1988 to 1990 and who, throughout his career, was a strong advocate for research and very supportive of all early career cardiologists.

The Stokes Lecture is the keynote address of the conference. Each year an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession of cardiology and who has Irish connections is invited to present to the membership body.

The title of the 2025 Stokes Lecture, by Dr Garret FitzGerald, is ‘Time’s arrow: The ageing chronobiome’. Dr FitzGerald, a distinguished physician-scientist based at the University of Pennsylvania, is a graduate of University College Dublin. His research contributed fundamentally to the development of low dose aspirin for cardioprotection and both predicted and elucidated the mechanism by which other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause a cardiovascular hazard.

On 18 October, Dr Ben Freed, Illinois Chapter, American College of Cardiology, will present on pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction. In addition, the latest developments in heart failure treatment will be explored by Prof Mark Petrie, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Scotland. Prof Petrie’s research interests include revascularisation in heart failure, interventional heart failure, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among other areas.

The afternoon will also feature a discussion on novel and current issues in cardiology. Topics will include AI and cardiology; advocating for an EU cardiovascular health strategy; and implementation of the national review of cardiac services.