Pedro A. Lemos1, Jin Ye Yeo2
1Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil Spain; 2CDT Editorial Office, AME Publishing Company
Correspondence to: Jin Ye Yeo. CDT Editorial Office, AME Publishing Company. Email: editor@thecdt.org
Expert introduction
Prof. Pedro A. Lemos (Figure 1) is the Chairman of Cardiology at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo, Brazil. He also holds the position of Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Pedro Lemos received his medical degree from the University of Brasilia, Brazil. His training in internal medicine, cardiology, and interventional cardiology was at the University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil. In Rotterdam, The Netherlands, he received the Ph.D. degree with distinction Cum Laude from the Erasmus University.
Prof. Lemos is an internationally recognized interventional cardiologist and leading scientist in the cardiovascular field, with more than 300 articles published in scientific journals. His work integrates multiple disciplines, with a particular interest in integrative research & development of interventional solutions for coronary and cardiac structural diseases.
Figure 1 Prof. Pedro A. Lemos
Interview
CDT: What drove you into the field of interventional cardiology?
Prof. Lemos: Cardiology is a field of major medical interest due to its worldwide importance as a cause of morbidity and mortality. In particular, over the last decades, minimally invasive technologies and techniques have virtually revolutionized cardiovascular medicine.
CDT: You have published extensively on catheter-based diagnostics and therapeutic methods. Can you highlight some of your most impactful research findings and their implications for cardiovascular care?
Prof. Lemos: Twenty years ago, I participated in a unique initiative that eventually led to the validation of drug-eluting stents - a nascent technology at that time - as the workhorse tool used in everyday practice in virtually all catheterization labs. Since then, I have dedicated my scientific efforts to the development of a myriad of new devices, pharmacological strategies, and computer-assisted strategies to help improve the field of interventional cardiology.
CDT: Could you provide a brief overview of the recent advancements in catheter-based diagnostics for cardiovascular diseases? What are some examples that hold significant promise?
Prof. Lemos: Today, precision medicine is a reality that is taking shape as we speak. And it will increase tremendously in the coming years. But to provide factual personalized, individualized care, we will need to gain depth in the diagnostic investigation of cardiovascular diseases. In my view, dedicated invasive tools will facilitate that desired granularity. Areas like coronary function assessment, vascular imaging, cardiac morphology, and performance characterization are already under intense development and will help the expansion of the diagnostic capabilities of invasive medicine.
CDT: How do you approach the development and evaluation of new catheter-based techniques and technologies in your research?
Prof. Lemos: The development of new technologies in interventional cardiology must follow a well-established pathway, which ranges from pre-clinical evaluations to early clinical safety studies and eventually large randomized, as well as post-market, trials. Each step in the development process has its own objectives and goals, ultimately shaping the profile of the clinical relevance of the technology.
CDT: What advice would you offer to young professionals or researchers interested in pursuing a career in interventional cardiology?
Prof. Lemos: This is a fascinating field. The potential to continue improving the quality of life and increasing the survival of patients with cardiovascular diseases is huge. In the future, we will see the development of individualized interventions with more preventive purposes, clinical trials with pragmatic and creative designs, and the increasing growth of both structural and coronary interventions. Also very importantly, in the future, we will have to test and implement strategies to expand access to populations that are currently underserved and underexposed to the best of interventional cardiology.
CDT: How was your experience as an Editorial Board Member of CDT?
Prof. Lemos: I have been a member of the Board since CDT was created. It has been a privilege to see the growth of the journal which is now recognized as a major one in the field.
CDT: As the Editorial Board Member, what are your expectations for CDT?
Prof. Lemos: CDT is grounded in a high-quality standard, both scientifically and clinically. Its relevance will keep growing in the coming years, in parallel to the need for reference journals in cardiovascular medicine.