Local Faculty
We look forward to welcoming an esteemed local faculty comprising leading professionals from across South Africa. Stay tuned for updates as we finalise and announce the distinguished experts who will be sharing their insights at SA Heart® Congress 2026.
Dr. Adèle Greyling
Dr. Adèle Greyling
Dr Greyling is an electrophysiologist and paediatric cardiologist in Cape Town. She qualified form the University of Pretoria in 1999, specialized in paediatrics in the UK and paediatric cardiology in Port Elizabeth. Thereafter she did a fellowship in both adult and paediatric invasive electrophysiology and implantable cardiac devices in Leuven, Belgium. She obtained European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) accreditation in implantable cardiac devices in 2015 and invasive electrophysiology in 2016. She enjoys performing all invasive electrophysiology procedures and cardiac ablation with a special interest in arrhythmia management in congenital heart disease. She is based at Mediclinic Vergelegen but also has an appointment as an honorary consultant at Red Cross Children’s Hospital, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. She is passionate about education and improving patient awareness and access to EP services. She is a member of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), the Pediatric and Adult Congenital Electrophysiology Society (PACES), European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) , ex president and current treasurer of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Society of Southern Africa (CASSA) and a member of the exco and the treasurer of the Paediatric Cardiac Society of South Africa (PCSSA).
Dr. Ahmed Vachiat
Dr. Ahmed Vachiat
Dr Ahmed Vachiat is an Interventional Cardiologist currently working at Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg Surgical Hopsital and Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. He completed his PhD and MMed at Wits and the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at UCT. He is the previous Convenor of the Annual SA Heart Congress, the Chairman of STEMI SA and an Executive member of the South African Society of Cardiovascular interventions. Interests include complex coronary interventions like rotablation, coronary imaging, bifurcations, left main disease and structural heart disease including percutaneous aortic valve implantation. Research interests include STEMI , HIV and cardiorenal disease. Teaching include Cath lab training and cardiology fellow workshops, proctoring for complex coronary disease, bedside clinical teaching for undergraduate students. Main interest is setting up Networks in South Africa to improve STEMI management and research.
Prof. Alfonso Pecoraro
Prof. Alfonso Pecoraro
Prof Pecoraro is a cardiologist pursuing an academic career in South Africa. His career objectives are to contribute to the accessibility of advanced health care for all people of South Africa, and to improve the
outcome of patients through locally relevant research. His special interests include echocardiography, the management of acute coronary syndromes and infective endocarditis.
Dr. André Brooks
Dr. André Brooks
André Brooks is the head of Congenital and Paediatric Cardio-thoracic surgery, Chris Barnard Division at Red Cross Children’s War Memorial and Groote Schuur Hospitals, University of Cape Town. He has developed a surgical program with the philosophy of definitive, biventricular repair whenever feasible and has significantly expanded the neonatal surgical and the adult congenital surgical program. In collaboration with the Otolaryngology department an active surgical airway reconstructive program has been established. His ideal is to further foster a world class unit with the therapeutic model of definitive repair as best suitable for the African continent.
Dr. Annemarie Wentzel
Dr. Annemarie Wentzel
Dr Annemarie Wentzel is a senior lecturer and researcher at the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART), NWU. Her research focus is Stress Physiology with specializations in neuro-cardiology, neuro-endocrinology, and cardiometabolic stress-reactivity. She aims to address the molecular, physiological and clinical implications of acute stress responses and sustained stress, to identify early pathways of intervention, in cardiometabolic diseases.
Dr Wentzel has authored 28 research papers, 39 national-and international conference proceedings in leading physiology-and clinical journals, and she has received awards on her stress-focussed work from the American Heart Association 2023. She is the first author of defining papers identifying alternative etiologies of T2DM and was awarded the USA’s NIH Coleman-Innovation Award for her clinical-epidemiological research introducing a stress-based focus in T2DM. Annemarie and her team also identified cumulative stress as an independent cardiometabolic risk factor in young adults and continue to explore the psychophysiological and neuro-endocrinological-based mechanisms in stress, and stress control. She has been funded by the SA-NRF, SA-MRC, NIH, NIDDK, NIMHD (USA), and HSFSA. She is training 4-PhD, 10 MHSc-students, and have trained 5 NIH Post-Bac Fellows, and 3 visiting clinicians. She is the PI of the SweetHeart study, a clinical-epidemiological study assessing the genetic, molecular and physiological mechanisms of stress in T2DM, employing traditional and advanced analytics, including neural networks. Annemarie firmly believes that science is a team sport, and aims to translate these fundamental physiological insights into improved clinical interventions.
Dr. Barend Fourie
Dr. Barend Fourie
Dr. Barend Fourie is a paediatric cardiologist at Tygerberg Hospital and a senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University. His clinical and academic interests focus on interventional cardiology and cardiac imaging, with a special emphasis on MRI.
Prof. Blanche Cupido
Prof. Blanche Cupido
Professor Blanche Cupido is a consultant adult interventional cardiologist who has a special interest in congenital heart disease, cardiac imaging and valvular heart disease.
She completed her undergraduate medical degree at UCT in 2001 and subsequently specialized in internal medicine (2009) and cardiology (2013). In 2016, she did a fellowship in Adult Congenital Heart Disease in Leeds, UK and Certificate in Advanced Heart Failure Management from the University of Zurich and the ESC Academy.
She currently works at Groote Schuur Hospital and UCT Private Academic Hospital as the Head of Echocardiography and the Clinical Lead for Adult Congenital Heart Disease. In 2020, she was elected as one of the Inaugural winners of the Women as One Escalator award. She is a Fellow to the American College of Cardiology and a Fellow to the European Society of Cardiology.
Prof Cupido is involved with education at undergraduate, postgraduate, regional, national and international level and has previously been elected as a TAU (Teaching Advancements in Universities) Fellow in South Africa. She serves on the executive board the International Society of Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ISACHD), has been appointed as the Associate Editor- in-Chief for the CHiP (Congenital Heart International Professionals) Network. She is also the past-president of the South African Heart Association (SA Heart).
Dr. Charles Kyriakakis
Dr. Charles Kyriakakis
Interventional Cardiologist & SA Heart 2026 Congress Convenor
Dr Charles Kyriakakis completed his undergraduate training at the University of Pretoria, followed by his general physician and cardiology training at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital.
He has been a member of faculty, and he has delivered multiple presentations at both local and international congresses, including having developed and co-chaired the first “Learning Pericardiocentesis’ session to have been held at a EuroPCR congress.
His research interests included pericardial disease and acute myocarditis, prior to him having entered private practice, where he practices at Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Cape Town, as an Interventional Cardiologist.
His interests include the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, the work-up and treatment of various heart failure syndromes, and both coronary interventions and TAVI valve implants.
He is actively involved in the work-up and management of patients who have suffered from a cardioembolic stroke, and he has a keen interest in valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy and echocardiography.
Dr. Charle Viljoen
Dr. Charle Viljoen
Dr. Charle Viljoen is a Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist at Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town. He has a strong academic and clinical background.
He graduated MBChB with distinction from the University of Pretoria, achieving the highest marks in his final year, and completed a Master’s degree in Internal Medicine as well as a PhD at the University of Cape Town. He trained in Cardiology at Groote Schuur Hospital, followed by further subspecialist training in Cardiac Electrophysiology.
He received the International Resident Leadership Award from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2018 and was selected for the World Heart Federation Emerging Leaders Programme in 2019. He holds EHRA certification in Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices and became a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) in 2023.
His clinical interests include arrhythmias, device therapy, and heart failure, with a particular focus on conduction system pacing (CSP). With a strong commitment to medical education, he developed the ECG APPtitude mobile app, which has been downloaded over 30,000 times globally.
Dr Viljoen serves on the executive committee of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Society of Southern Africa (CASSA) and has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, including in European Heart Journal (EHJ) and Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).
Prof. Chris Hammen
Prof. Chris Hugo Hammen
Chris is a Paediatric Cardiologist working primarily from the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial
Hospital in Cape Town. He is an Honorary Associate Professor in the University of Cape Town. He
was the Founder and Head of the Centre for Paediatric, Congenital and Rheumatic Heart Disease in
Namibia (2007-2018). He has peer reviewed publications on Child Health, Tuberculosis, Rheumatic
Heart Disease, Infective endocarditis, Health systems development and Global cardiac care. He was
Principal investigator for Namibia in the “Global Registry for Rheumatic Heart Disease” (REMEDY)
and “Welcome RHD GEN H3Africa” (RHD GEN). A former President of the Paediatric Cardiac
Society of South Africa, he was Chair cod the World Congress Paediatric Cardiology & Cardiac
Surgery, Cape Town 2013 and a member of that Steering Committee between 2009 and 2025.
Chris is a graduate of the University of Cape Town. He is a Rhodes Scholar (Jesus College, Oxford
University 1980-1983).
Dr. Darshan Reddy
Dr. Darshan Reddy
Dr Darshan Reddy is a cardiothoracic surgeon practicing at the Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre in Durban.
Dr Reddy completed his undergraduate medical degree at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and his cardiothoracic surgical training at the University of Kwazulu Natal (UKZN), completing both a Masters in Medicine and the Fellowship of the Colleges of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of South Africa. Dr Reddy spent a year as a visiting clinical lecturer in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at the University of Michigan and has a special interest in the surgical treatment of paediatric and congenital heart disease.
Dr Reddy holds leadership positions in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the World Society of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery (WSPCHS), and the African Society of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery (ASPCHS). His interests include complex neonatal cardiac surgery and rheumatic mitral valve repair.
Dr. David Jankelow
Dr. David Jankelow
Past-President of the South African Heart Association SA Heart® 2018 – 2020
- Clinical Cardiologist, Netcare Linksfield Clinic since 2000
- Graduated University of Witwatersrand MBBCh 1984
- Registrar internal Medicine, Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, University of Witwatersrand 1987- 1992
- Fellow of the College of Medicine of South Africa 1992
- Consultant Cardiologist, Charlotte Maxeke Hospital and University of Witwatersrand & 1992 2000
- Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) 2014
- Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) 2019
- I am excited about the future with a massive interest in disruptive technologies in medicine /
- cardiology – this was since I chaired the 2017 SA Heart® Congress – “fundamentals to
- innovation”
- Have since been invited to give many lectures re AI in healthcare / cardiovascular medicine
- Honorary life membership of SA Heart® in 2021
- Exercise fanatic – CrossFit
- “Obedient husband” – Father of two sons and one daughter; my big boys (29 and 27 years)
Dr. Demitri Contintinou
Dr. Demitri Contintinou
Demitri Constantinou is Full Professor at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and registered specialist in Sport and Exercise Medicine. Particular interests include sports and exercise cardiology, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, doping, and chronic disease rehabilitation. He holds a medical degree, a BSc Med Honours in Sport Science, an MPhil in Sports and Exercise Medicine, an MSc Med in Emergency Medicine, and PhD.
In 2004, he founded the Wits Centre for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, establishing its academic, research, and clinical programmes, and has supervised more than 35 higher-degree graduates. He led the designation of Africa's first FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence and served as its Director. He is Director of the Johannesburg FIMS Collaborating Centre of Sports Medicine.
Professor Constantinou contributed to the long-term effort that achieved recognition of Sport and Exercise Medicine as a medical specialty in South Africa; and an associate and council member of the College of Sports and Exercise Medicine of South Africa, Fellow of the International Federation of Sports Medicine, and Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.
He serves as Chair of the FIMS Education Commission, Chair of FIMS International Collaborating Centres of Sports Medicine Steering Group, and FIMS Executive Committee member. He is a Therapeutic Use Exemption Committee member for the International Cricket Council, and International Testing Agency.
A two-time past President and Life Member of the South African Sports Medicine Association, he is also a member of the South African Heart Association and its Ethics and Guidelines, plus Education and Research Committees. He has lectured internationally, served on numerous scientific congress committees, and provided clinical support, including for Aquatics, Hockey, Commonwealth, Olympic, and Paralympic Games. He recently established the South African Chapter of the Global Alliance for the Promotion of Physical Activity and Health.
He has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and manuals, and serves on editorial boards of four international journals.
Prof. Dirk Blom
Prof. Dirk Blom
Associate Professor Dirk Blom (MBChB, MMed, FCP (SA), PhD) is the Head of Division of Lipidology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town and heads the Lipid Clinic at Groote Schuur Hospital.
Dr Blom’s personal research interests include genetic disorders of lipoprotein metabolism with a particular emphasis on dysbetalipoproteinaemia and familial hypercholesterolaemia which is particularly common in South Africa. His unit has participated or is participating in multiple trials of novel agents for the management of heterozygous and homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia, familial chylomicronaemia and atherogenic dyslipidaemia. Other interests include familial chylomicronaemia syndrome, lipodystrophy, PPARgamma mutations and statin associated muscle symptoms.
Dr Blom is a member of multiple international societies and currently serves on the executive committee of the Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society of Southern Africa. He is the current President of the International Atherosclerosis Society.
Dr. Erich Schürmann
Dr. Erich Schürmann
Dr Erich Schürmann is Head of the Maboneng Heart & Lung Institute in Johannesburg, South Africa, regarded as the largest private cardiothoracic unit in Africa. He is a pediatric and congenital cardiothoracic surgeon with expertise across the full spectrum of congenital and pediatric cardiac surgery, including neonatal and complex congenital heart surgery from PDA ligation to Norwood procedures.
His practice encompasses GUCH (grown-up congenital heart disease), pediatric and adult thoracic surgery, advanced airway and tracheal reconstruction, extracorporeal life support, and mechanical circulatory assist. Dr Schürmann is involved in high-volume congenital cardiac surgery with a focus on complex neonatal repairs, multidisciplinary perioperative care, and development of advanced congenital cardiac services in Africa.
Prof. Eric Klug
Prof. Eric Klug
Professor Eric Klug is a cardiologist at Sunninghill, Sunward Park Hospitals and Associate Professor, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and CM Johannesburg Academic Hospital,Division of Cardiology.
In addition: Head, Heart Failure Clinic at the CM Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
Co-director, Cardiovascular Research Unit, Tickerdoc Research, at Sunninghill Hospital. He has been national leader and principal investigator for a number of international large clinical trials.
Past President: SA Heart Association, Heart Failure Society of South Africa.
Treasurer: Heart Failure Society of South Africa.
He has been: Chief Editor of the SA Heart Failure Guidelines in 2012 and co-author of 2 subsequent updates (2013, 2020) and in 2012 and 2018 was Chief Editor of the SA Heart/LASSA Dyslipidaemia Guidelines.
Dr. Farouk Mamdoo
Dr. Farouk Mamdoo
Dr Farouk Mamdoo graduated with an MBBCh from the University of Witwatersrand Medical School and obtained the FCP (SA) and Certificate in Cardiology (SA) and was awarded the Jock Gear Memorial Award and SA Heart Award for best oral congress presentation.
He underwent training in Interventional Cardiology at the Washington Hospital Centre,(USA), Advanced Echocardiography at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Centre,(USA), Cardiac Synchronisation Therapy at Santa Maria Della Misericordia Hospital, (Italy).
He was Director of the Transoesophageal Echocardiography Unit and began the 3D Echocardiography Service at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital publishing the TORCH Registry Data and various other publications/presentations in journals such as Circulation, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the SA Heart Journal.
Dr Mamdoo is a Lecturer and Co-Ordinator for the Graduate Entry Medical Program in the Unit for Undergraduate Medical School Education, the Department of Physiology and the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand as well as an External Examiner.
He is a Director for The Cardiovascular Research and Training Unit in Johannesburg and the Structural Heart Centre at the Netcare Alberton Hospital with proctoring roles for a number of multinational companies for interventional procedures including complex interventional coronary revascularization, structural heart interventions e.g., TAVI, LAA Occlusion, balloon valvotomy, pacing, cardiac resynchronization therapy, 3D transoesophageal echocardiography and cardio-oncology imaging.
His interests include acute coronary syndromes, heart failure management and structural heart disease.
He was Congress Chair for the SA Heart Annual Congress for 2022 and 2023 and is on several advisory bodies for device and pharmaceutical companies.
He is the current President of the Johannesburg Branch of SA Heart.
Dr. George Comitis
Dr. George Comitis
George Comitis is a Paediatric Cardiologist based at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and the Western Cape Paediatric Cardiology Service. He started his career training as an anaesthetist but then switched to Paediatrics qualifying in 2004.
He then spent two years working in Paediatric Cardiac Intensive Care at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London before returning to South Africa to train as a Paediatric Cardiologist under Prof John Lawrenson at Red Cross Children’s Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital, qualifying in 2010, after which he was appointed as a consultant in the same department. Since 2022, he has served as Vice-President of the SA Heart Association Western Cape Branch as well as on the SA Heart Association Education Committee. He is currently the Head of the Western Cape Paediatric Cardiology Service which is a cross-platform service between Red Cross Children’s Hospital / University of Cape Town and Tygerberg Hospital / Stellenbosch University.
He also serves as Director of Echocardiography as well as being part of the Cardiac Catheterization and Interventional team at Red Cross Children’s Hospital.
Prof. Hellmuth Weich
Prof. Hellmuth Weich
Hellmuth Weich is an interventional cardiologist with interest in structural heart disease and transcatheter valve therapies. He serves as Senior Consultant and Director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at Tygerberg Hospital and was appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at Stellenbosch University in 2024.
Educated at Stellenbosch University and the UK, his PhD focused on the development of a novel transcatheter aortic valve designed to improve affordability and applicability in patients with rheumatic heart disease.
He was part of the teams that performed first Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedures and transcatheter mitral edge to edge repair (MTEER) in the country. Other research interests include pulmonary vascular interventions, biomedical device innovation, and cardiovascular health systems evaluation, particularly within resource-constrained environments
He is a past President of the South African Society of Cardiac Interventionists (SASCI) and is currently the Secretary of SASCI.
Dr. Jane Moses
Dr. Kaveshree Govender
Dr Moses is a cardiologist and electrophysiologist working at Tygerberg Hospital, Stellenbosch University and at Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital. She completed her undergraduate training at the University of Cape Town in 2004. Both her training as a Specialist Physician (2012), and later as a Cardiologist (2015) was at Stellenbosch University.
On qualifying, Dr Moses began a fellowship in electrophysiology. She spent time at the Charité Universitätsmedizin Hospital in Berlin, at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, and at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. During her fellowship Dr Moses attained the European Heart Rhythm Association certification in both invasive electrophysiology and cardiac pacing and implantable cardioverter defibrillators.
Her fields of interest include both arrhythmia and complex device management.
Dr. Jens Hitzeroth
Dr. Jens Hitzeroth
Jens is the current Head of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at Groote Schuur Hospital and director of the postgraduate cardiology training program.
His particular interest is in cardiac interventions (including percutaneous valve intervention, device implantations and complex PCI) and heart failure management.
He is a member the Heart Failure Society of South Africa and the vice-president of the South African Society of Cardiac Interventions as well as the chair of the SA Heart Ethics and Guidelines Committee.
Dr. Joseph Raimondo
Prof. John Lawrenson
Prof. John Lawrenson
John Lawrenson is the former head of the paediatric cardiology service of the Western Cape Province.
He is still actively involved in research and teaching at Red Cross Children’s and Tygerberg Hospitals
Dr. Karen Fieggen
Dr. Karen Fieggen
Karen completed training as a paediatrician in 1994 with additional experience in paediatric cardiology and oncology. She subsequently returned to the public sector practice in 2003 to train as a subspecialist medical geneticist at the University of Cape Town and the affiliated Groote Schuur and Red Cross War Memorial Hospitals where she continues to work, leading a small, but committed, team of medical genetic doctors, genetic counselors and genetic nurses. This team provides all medical genetic services to patients and families across the lifespan including the unborn, children and adults. Her interests include the holistic care of children and families with or at risk for genetic disorders within the South African and African context, and the clinical utility of appropriate genetic testing in local settings.
Dr. Kaveshree Govender
Dr. Kaveshree Govender
Dr Govender is a Cardiologist who did a fellowship in Electrophysiology in Vancouver, Canada.
Since her return to South Africa, she’s been in private practice in Johannesburg. She also does cases at Baragwanath Hospital.
Prof. Liesl Zühlke
Prof. Liesl Zühlke
Professor Liesl Zühlke is Vice President of the South African Medical Research Council and a paediatric cardiologist at Red Cross Children’s Hospital and UCT. A global leader in rheumatic and congenital heart disease, her work spans clinical care, implementation science, genetics, and health systems strengthening. She is committed to advancing equity, empowering women in medicine, and shaping a resilient, inclusive research ecosystem across Africa.
She has over 250 publications, conference proceedings and book chapters, an her h-index of 60 , she has been cited over 88 000 times and was the 2018 recipient of the MRC/Dfid African Research Leader Award, the Winner of the NRF award for Social Impact in Research, the International Metrodora Award for Public Health and Research and the UCT Vice-Chancellors Alan Pfifer Award for research. She was recently inducted into the prestigious UCT College of Fellows, UCT’s highest academic honour, inducted in 2024 into the The World Academy of Scicence, a Member of the South African Academy of Sciences (MASSAf) and is NRF-B1 rated.
Dr. Marguerite Blignaut
Dr. Marguerite Blignaut
Dr Marguerite Blignaut is a researcher and principal investigator within the Centre for CardioMetabolic Research in Africa (CARMA) at the Division of Medical Physiology, Stellenbosch University. She investigates mitochondrial function and cardio-metabolic disease in advanced, three-dimensional in vitro models as potential human-relevant alternatives to animal models. She has a proven track record of first-author publications and presentations at international level, and was awarded the Discovery Best Oral presentation award at SA Heart in 2022. In 2024 she was awarded the Excellence in Research and Innovation award in the Early Researcher Career category by Stellenbosch University, and have received several national grants. She represents the South African Society for Cardiovascular Research (SASCAR), a special interest group of SA Heart on the SA Heart Scientific Committee for 2026.
Prof. Marc Blockman
Prof. Marc Blockman
Marc is professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, and senior consultant in the division of clinical pharmacology at Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town. He exemplifies a strong culture of evidence based medical practice, exemplified by his involvement in the teaching and application of the evidence-based ethos. He has been involved since 1995 with the Essential Drugs Programme of South Africa, becoming Chairman in 2008; and Co-chair 2025.
Marc is a member of the Universities medical and bioethics programme; and he is Chair of the Health Sciences Human Research and Ethics Committee, as well as chair of various data safety monitoring committees (DSMBs). He is Chair of the University of Cape Town’s Senate Ethics in Research Committee, which plays an oversite role over all the research ethics committees of the University. He is recognised as an expert on International, National and Provincial Drug Policy; and serves on SAHPRA; as recent chairperson of the pharmacovigilance expert committee and now chair of the clinical expert committee.
Marc serves as an International Consultant for the WHO; and is executive member of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Advisory Committee and is chair of the Groote Schuur Hospital’s PTC. He is a well-respected lecturer and was awarded the Distinguished Teachers Award from the University of Cape Town.
Dr. Martin T. Mpe
Dr. Martin T. Mpe
Dr Martin Mpe is a cardiologist and cardiovascular leader with extensive experience in clinical practice, medical education, and cardiovascular advocacy. He is in private practice at Raslouw Private Hospital in Pretoria and Netcare Pholoso Hospital in Polokwane and serves as a session cardiologist at No. 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria.
He currently serves as President of the SA Heart®, leading initiatives that strengthen cardiovascular education, research collaboration, and policy engagement to improve cardiovascular care in South Africa and across Africa.
Dr Mpe is a past president of both the Heart Failure Society of South Africa and the Southern African Hypertension Society.
Prof. Mpiko Ntsekhe
Prof. Mpiko Ntsekhe
Mpiko Ntsekhe is the Hellen and Morris Mauerberger Professor and Chair of Cardiology, at the University of Cape Town, and Head of The Cardiac Clinic at Groote Schuur Hospital. He is the current Vice President of the Pan African Society of Cardiology-South Region, past Vice President of the SA Heart Association and has held numerous leadership positions in organizations which seek to improve cardiovascular health access and care in South and sub-Saharan Africa.
Ntsekhe has degrees from Brown (BA), Columbia (MD) and the University of Cape Town (MPhil & PhD) and completed his Internal Medicine and Cardiology specialty training at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. He is a well published, respected teacher-trainer, and clinician-researcher, with specific interests in the intersection between communicable and cardiovascular diseases in Africa, and leveraging clinical trials to build clinical and research capacity across Africa while addressing the major causes of CVD related morbidity and mortality on the continent. For his contributions to cardiovascular medicine, Ntsekhe has received special recognition from the SA MRC, NRF, SA Academy of Sciences, UCT College of Fellows, and American College of Cardiology.
Dr. Nazneen Allie
Dr. Nazneen Allie
Dr. Nazneen Allie is a consultant paediatric cardiologist at Tygerberg Hospital and a member of the Western Cape Paediatric Cardiology Services. She completed both her paediatric and paediatric cardiology training at the University of Cape Town and Red Cross Children’s Hospital. Dr. Allie has a keen interest in paediatric heart transplantation and interventional cardiology, where she brings specialized expertise and dedication to advancing cardiac care for young patients. Her work is instrumental in supporting children with complex heart conditions across the region.
Dr. Nico van der Merwe
Dr. Nico van der Merwe
Nico started his career at the department of cardiology at UFS. After doing a fellowship in Leuven, Belgium, he moved into private practice at Bloemfontein Mediclinic where he practiced for 12 years. He then moved to Gqeberha where he practiced at Greenacres hospital.
He was recently appointed as head of cardiology at UFS and Universtas hospital.
Prof. Nqoba Tsabedze
Prof. Nqoba Tsabedze
Nqoba Tsabedze, an associate professor at the School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, is deeply committed to cardiology.
He is the Academic and Clinical Head of the Division of Cardiology at the University of the Witwatersrand and the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. He also serves as the Deputy Chairperson of the South African Heart Association Board and an Executive Board member of the South African Hypertension Society, demonstrating his active involvement in shaping the future of cardiology in South Africa.
As the President of the Heart Failure Society of South Africa (HEFSSA), he promotes African heart failure research and treatment. His admission as a fellow of the European Society of Cardiology in 2022 further validates his commitment. Nqoba’s passion for teaching and training undergraduate and postgraduate students is a testament to his dedication to the field.
Dr. Phophi Raphulu
Dr. Phophi Raphulu
Dr Phophi Raphulu is a Paediatric Cardiologist and lecturer based at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and University of the Witwatersrand. Her special interests are Advanced Echocardiography, Fetal Cardiology, Paediatric Cardiac Interventions and Research. Dr Raphulu is the current secretary-general of the Paediatric Cardiac Society of South Africa (PCSSA).
In addition to her clinical roles, Dr Raphulu also serves as the coordinator for the fifth year paediatric medical students at the University of the Witwatersrand. Due to her passion and interest in Fetal Cardiology, with the aim of expanding her knowledge in this field, she spent some time at the Fetal Heart Program in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr Raphulu enjoys research related to Paediatric Cardiology. Her latest publication was “Balloon Valvuloplasty for valvar pulmonary stenosis: a 34-year experience at a large tertiary-level hospital, Southern Africa’ which she presented at the 8th World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery in Washington DC.
Prof. Ruchika Meel
Prof. Ruchika Meel
Prof Ruchika Meel is a general cardiologist and clinician scientist in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand. She has an interest in clinical cardiology and cardiovascular imaging. She has a passionate interest in research with to date 1 book publication, four book chapters and 49 research articles and over 60 congress presentations. She is currently involved in research projects related to aortic aneurysms and valvular heart disease.
She is a Fellow of European Society of Cardiology, European Association of Cardiovascular imaging and serves on various committees. She has received multiple awards for conference presentations and was the recipient of Carnegie doctoral and post-doctoral awards. She was awarded the prestigious TH Bothwell research prize in Internal Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand school of clinical medicine annual awards ceremony. She has recently been appointed as the Editor-in-Chief of the South African Heart Association Journal.
Prof. Ruan Kruger
Prof. Ruan Kruger
Professor Ruan Kruger is Professor of Physiology and Cardiovascular Health at the North-West University, South Africa, where his research focuses on the early-life origins of hypertension, cardiovascular risk, vascular ageing and cardio-kidney health. He serves as Chief Executive Officer of the South African Heart Association (SA Heart®) and as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Childhood Hypertension Consortium of Africa (CHCAfrica), where he leads strategic initiatives to strengthen cardiovascular prevention, professional education, advocacy and research implementation across South Africa and the broader African region.
Prof Kruger’s work is centred on improving the detection, interpretation and management of elevated blood pressure and cardiovascular risk from childhood into adulthood, with a particular emphasis on African populations. Through CHCAfrica and the HYPER DRIVE school-based screening initiative, he has championed national efforts to build Africa’s first comprehensive childhood blood pressure database and to generate locally relevant evidence for clinical practice, health-system planning and policy translation.
He is internationally recognised for his contributions to paediatric and young-adult hypertension research and guideline development. He is a Fellow of the International Society of Hypertension and the European Society of Cardiology, serves on international cardiovascular committees and working groups, and contributes to African and global efforts to improve hypertension awareness, prevention and care. His research includes over 140 publications on longitudinal cohort studies, vascular phenotyping, target-organ injury, retinal microvascular health, kidney biomarkers, metabolomics and implementation-focused cardiovascular prevention.
Prof. Sandrine Lecour
Prof. Sandrine Lecour
Sandrine Lecour PharmD, PhD, FESC is Professor in Physiology in the Department of Medicine, Deputy Director of the Cape Heart Institute and Head of the Cardioprotection group at the University of Cape Town. Her research interests include the delineation of intrinsic prosurvival signalling pathways activated in different pathophysiological conditions, including ischemic heart disease, hypertension, obesity or cancer/drug related cardiotoxicity. Having published over 150 peer reviewed articles, she is a B-rated NRF researcher and she has a H-index of 55. She is the founder of the South African Heart Society for Cardiovascular Research (SASCAR), an interest group of SA Heart Association and past treasurer of the International Society for Heart Research.
Dr. Sarah Kraus
Dr. Sarah Kraus
Sarah completed her undergraduate and postgraduate training at the University of Cape Town (UCT), graduating as a Fellow of the College of Physicians of South Africa in 2013. She was awarded the Helen and Morris Mauerberger Scholarship in 2014 and completed her PhD at UCT in 2019. Her doctoral work focused on the establishment of the African Cardiomyopathy and Myocarditis Registry Program (IMHOTEP), a prospective multi-centre clinical registry and DNA repository designed to facilitate cardiomyopathy and genetics research in Africa. In 2017, she and her colleagues were awarded the National Research Foundation (NRF) Team Science Award and the Congress of Business and Economics (CBE) Innovators’ Award for the discovery of the CDH2 gene, a novel cause of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.
After completing her PhD in Medicine, Sarah went abroad to do a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cardiovascular Genetics at the University of Oxford, while completing the Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure in London (Zurich/London Heart House, Royal Brompton & Harefield), United Kingdom. On returning to South Africa, Sarah continued as an Honorary Consultant and the Clinical Lead for the Cardiomyopathy Clinical Service at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH), Cape Town. In 2023, she launched the Inherited Cardiomyopathy Genetic Counselling and Family Screening Initiative at GSH, a programme that facilitates genetics results feedback, counselling and family screening to individuals with cardiomyopathy-causing gene mutations identified through research. Sarah started consulting part-time in private practice in Cape Town in 2024. Recognising the growing need for specialized care for individuals with inherited cardiomyopathies, she launched her own private practice in 2026.
Sarah holds a position of Honorary Senior Lecturer position at UCT. Her local research affiliations include the UCT SAMRC Extramural Unit on Intersection of Noncommunicable and Infectious Diseases, the Cardiovascular Genetics Laboratory at the Cape Heart Institute (UCT), and the Cape Universities Body Imaging Centre. Sarah has continued her affiliation with the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Oxford, as a visiting researcher. She is an active member of the World Heart Federation Emerging Leaders Programme and is an associate editor for Global Heart. Sarah was recently appointed to the Executive Committee for the Heart Failure Society of South Africa (HeFFSA).
Dr. Sphamandla Zulu
Dr. Sphamandla Zulu
Dr Sphamandla Zulu was born and raised in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
He did his Paediatric Cardiology Fellowship training in Durban at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Nelson Mandela Medical School) under the leadership of Dr Ebrahim Hoosen and qualified in 2020.
Dr Zulu is currently practicing as a Paediatric Cardiologist at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital since 2020.
He has a special interest in advanced paediatric cardiac interventions and hoping to obtain a fellowship in the near future.
Dr. Taahirah Boltman
Dr. Taahirah Boltman
Dr Taahirah Boltman is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Division of Medical Physiology within the Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA) at Stellenbosch University. Her current research focuses on mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiometabolic disease in people living with HIV as part of the MITO-SAKen study, a South Africa–Kenya collaboration led by Prof. Hans Strijdom. Her research has evolved from a multidisciplinary background in molecular biology and cancer nanomedicine to encompass cardiometabolic health, HIV, retinal imaging and translational biomarker research.
Her current work examines retinal microvascular structure and geometry as potential biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk among people living with and without HIV. Using longitudinal approaches, she investigates changes in retinal microvascular features over time and their potential utility for early disease detection and risk stratification. Her broader research interests span mitochondrial function and its underlying molecular mechanisms, retinal imaging and vascular biomarkers, with a focus on understanding the biological processes underlying cardiometabolic health and disease.
Alongside her research, Dr Boltman contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, mentorship and supervision. She also leads Marketing and Science Communication within the Division of Medical Physiology, supporting the translation of complex biomedical research into accessible and engaging content.
Her academic contributions include peer-reviewed publications, national and international conference presentations, competitive research fellowships and awards, including the DSTI-NRF Freestanding and Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship. Dr Boltman is committed to advancing cardiovascular and translational health research and strengthening research capacity within the African context.
Prof. Vernice Peterson
Prof. Vernice Peterson
Associate Professor, Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
Professor Vernice Peterson is a physiologist and Associate Professor in the Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit (CPGRU) and the co-Director of a satellite cardiac research site. Her research is grounded in translational cardiovascular science, with a particular focus on addressing the unique health challenges prevalent in Africa. Prof. Peterson is especially dedicated to bridging disciplinary divides and advancing cardiovascular health education and awareness. Her work explores cardiac function and haemodynamics in hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, HIV, and TB.
Prof. Peterson has published widely and serves on several national and international cardiovascular organisations (board member and past Treasurer of the Southern African Hypertension Society, member of the SA Heart Scientific and Education Committee, South African Society for Cardiovascular Research (SASCAR), International Post-Tuberculosis Cardiovascular Working Group, and the International Society of Hypertension (ISH)). She has been elected for several prestigious fellowships, including the Wits University Chancellor’s Female Academic Leadership Fellowship, the International Society of Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention (ISCEP) Fellowship and the Salim Yusuf World Heart Federation (WHF) Emerging Leaders Program. In addition, Prof. Peterson serves as a reviewer for leading journals and has secured both national and international research grants and industry-linked funding. Prof. Peterson is deeply committed to academic mentorship and nurturing the development of emerging researchers and postgraduate students. Her leadership continues to drive diverse research initiatives aimed at improving cardiovascular health outcomes across the continent.
Dr. Vijay Mammen
Dr. Vijay Mammen
Dr Vijay Mammen is the Head of Paediatric Cardiology at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg. He is also a lecturer in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Wits University.
He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate training at Wits University. He also completed his fellowship in Paediatric Cardiology at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. He has a keen interest in all aspects of Paediatric Cardiology, including interventional cardiology.
Dr. Zinzile Ngwenyama
Dr. Zinzile Ngwenyama
Dr. Zinzile Ngwenyama is a Paediatric Cardiologist with a specialized interest in echocardiography and electrophysiology. Her expertise lies in Paediatric cardiac echocardiography, catheterization, and the comprehensive management of patients with acquired and congenital heart disease. Dr. Ngwenyama completed her undergraduate medical training in 2008 at the University of KwaZulu Natal. She further specialized in Paediatrics at the University of the Free State, where she obtained her Paediatrician qualification in 2019. Subsequently, she sub-specialized in Paediatric Cardiology at the University of Cape Town and Tygerberg Hospital, culminating in her Paediatric Cardiologist qualification in 2025. Dr. Ngwenyama is dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based care to infants, children, and adolescents with heart disease. Beyond her professional endeavors, she actively participates in training medical officers pursuing a diploma in pediatrics through the Clinical Care platform. Her personal interests include reading, traveling, and aspiring to engage in charitable work in the future.