By Professor Stefan Neubauer, Head of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
We are delighted and sad in equal measure to report that Professor Barbara Casadei, MD DPhil FRCP FMedSci, has been appointed as the new Head of the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) in London, with effect from 1 October 2024.
After her Medical Degree at the University of Pavia, Italy, in 1989 Barbara joined the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (which later became the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine), initially as a Joan and Richard Doll Research Fellow, then as a British Heart Foundation Senior Fellow & Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, and, since 2012, as BHF Professor.
Barbara has had global impact in cardiovascular medicine that very few UK clinical scientists have achieved. We are so proud of what she has contributed to our Department through her outstanding science, her inspirational leadership and her commitment to mentorship.
- Professor Keith Channon, Head of the Radcliffe Department of Medicine
During this time, among many other achievements, Barbara spearheaded an internationally leading bench-to-bedside research programme on Atrial Fibrillation, spanning investigations in human tissue and cells to clinical trials, resulting in many impactful publications, including in the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet, among many others. She also leads the Cardiovascular Theme of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre and is a Steering Committee Member of the BHF Centre for Research Excellence.
Barbara's international contributions are enormous, including, among others, being the first female President of the European Society of Cardiology (2018-2020); Board member of the World Heart Federation (2020-22); President of the Fondation Leducq scientific committee; and founder of EuroHeart, a collaboration of national registries that supports the assessment and improvement of quality of cardiovascular care in Europe.
She has received countless scientific honours and prizes, including the Fellowship of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) and the highest honours of the British Cardiovascular Society (The Mackenzie Medal) and of the European Society of Cardiology (Gold Medal). Barbara has delivered numerous prize lectures including the William Harvey Lecture of the European Society of Cardiology; the Thomas Lewis Lecture of the British Cardiovascular Society; the Roman W. DeSanctis Lecture, Harvard Medical School; the ISHR Keith Reimer Distinguished Lecture; and the Lucian Award Lecture of McGill University, Canada.
As an inspirational advocate for women and underrepresented groups, Barbara has significantly enriched our Department's culture, fostering an environment where diversity is not just welcomed, but actively celebrated. Her actions and support for them have had a lasting impact, not only in Oxford, but across Europe.
Barbara's departure will be a great loss for us and we will miss her, but she will have the fantastic opportunity to shape the National Heart and Lung Institute in London, which she will undoubtedly lead to great success in coming years. Join us in congratulating Barbara on this most prestigious appointment, and in wishing her all the very best for the future!