Executive Committee

Jagat Narula, MD, PhD, MACC, FRCP is currently the executive vice president and chief academic officer at UTHealth Houston. He works with the six deans and members of the UTHealth Houston leadership team to advance the academic mission and promote excellence in education and research. This includes leading a diverse team of faculty and administrators to oversee strategic planning and implementation of the university’s education and research platform. 

Dr. Narula after completing his cardiology fellowship training and PhD (Cardiovascular Immunology) from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, relocated to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School in 1989. At MGH, after cardiology, heart failure & transplantation, and nuclear cardiology fellowships and he joined the cardiology faculty. In 1997, he moved to Hahnemann University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, where he was Thomas J. Vischer Professor of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Cardiology, Vice-Chairman of the department of Internal Medicine, and Director of Heart Failure & Transplantation Center. He subsequently joined University of California, Irvine School of Medicine (2003) as Chief of the Division of Cardiology, Associate Dean for Research, and Director of the Cardiovascular Center of the UC Irvine’s Douglas Hospital. He was also the Director of Memorial Heart & Vascular Institute, Long Beach Memorial Hospital, and Medical Director of the Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology in UC Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering. He moved to Mount Sinai as the Philip J. and Harriet L. Goodhart Chair in Cardiology, and the Director of Cardiovascular Imaging Program in the Mount Sinai’s Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute in 2011.

Dr. Narula has the unique distinction of being able to combine molecular and subcellular pathology and imaging with clinical imaging of the failing myocardium and high-risk coronary atherosclerotic plaques to develop novel strategies for prevention of cardiovascular disease and promotion of cardiovascular health in developed as well as developing countries. He has specifically contributed to two major areas including heart muscle cell apoptosis in heart failure, and lipid-rich atherosclerotic plaques that are susceptible to rupture and acute coronary events. He has brought novel experimental strategies to bedside and defined their applicability at the community level. He is currently actively involved in numerous population-based heart attack prevention programs including HAPPY [Heart Attack Prevention Program for You]. Based on his expertise in global medicine, he serves on the Advisory Council on Global Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences.

His research has been funded, in part, by the grants from National Institutes of Health. He is considered to be a true translationist and one of the infrequent investigators who has distinction of publishing in the best basic science and the best clinical journals including Science, Nature Medicine, PNAS, New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Circulation and JACC. With more than 1000 original research publications or presentations to his credit and more than 35 books or journal supplements edited, Dr. Narula has been awarded as ‘the best young investigator’ on several occasions for his research contributions. His mentoring prowess is exemplified by the fact that 20 of his fellows, working in his research laboratory, have been awarded young investigator awards. He was recently awarded as the Best Educator as also the Innovator in Cardiovascular Medicine by the American College of Cardiology in the year 2012, and was honored as the Master of the American College of Cardiology in March 2013. He has just received the Distinguished Scientist Award 2015 from the American College of Cardiology.

Dr. Mbakwem is a professor of Medicine at the University of Lagos and a consultant cardiologist to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. She completed her residency training in internal medicine and cardiology at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and received a Fellowship of the West African College of Physicians. She underwent further training in cardiology at the Wolfson Heart Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel and Azienda Sanitaria, Tuscany, Italy. Dr Mbakwem’s research interest includes Heart failure, systemic and pulmonary hypertension, heart disease in women, effective communication in disease management and the psychosocial issues in cardiovascular diseases. She is a member of the Nigerian Hypertension society guidelines writing committee. She is the immediate past President of the Nigerian Cardiac Society and a member of the European Society of Cardiology working group on Peripartum cardiomyopathy. She is the treasurer of PASCAR

Professor D. Prabhakaran is a cardiologist and epidemiologist by training. He is an internationally renowned researcher. He is Executive Director of Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi, India and Distinguished Professor, Public Health Foundation of India. In addition he is honorary Professor (NCD Epidemiology) London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK and Adjunct Professor, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. He heads the NIHR Centre for Global Health at PHFI. These centres conduct cutting edge research in the prevention of chronic diseases in India and the developing world.

His work spans from mechanistic research to understand the causes for increased propensity of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among Indians, to developing solutions for CVD through translational research and human resource development. Prof. Prabhakaran is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, UK, Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India and Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy He is member of Executive Council of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) and the International Society of CVD Epidemiology and Prevention (ISCEP). He has received funding from NHLBI, Wellcome Trust, European Commission and several other international and national funding bodies. He has mentored over 50 post-doctoral and doctoral students so far. He has authored several chapters and over 700 scholarly papers with an H index of 117. Listed as the topmost researcher in Medicine in India terms of publications for the years 2009-2014 by Scopus and Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. He is the lead editor of the Cardiovascular Disease Volume of the latest Disease Control Priorities Project. He is the lead editor of Tandon’s text book of Cardiology a comprehensive book on Cardiology for Indian Cardiologists and Fellows. In recognition of his work in Chronic Diseases and Global Health he was conferred an Honorary Doctor Of Science by the Glasgow University. He has been elected as the President Elect of the World Heart Federation from January 2025-December 2027.

Daniel José Piñeiro
Full Professor of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Immediate Past President, World Heart Federation
Former President, Inter-American Society of Cardiology
Former President, Argentine Society of Cardiology
Former Trustee, Board of Trustees, American College of Cardiology
Former Board Member, World Heart Federation
Former Roadmaps Liaison Officer, Science Committee, World Heart Federation
Prof. Daniel José Piñeiro has been a Full Professor of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, since 2005. He is actively involved in several international organizations, having served as a Trustee on the Board of Trustees of the American College of Cardiology from 2018 to 2021, and as the Roadmaps Liaison Officer on the Science Committee of the World Heart Federation from 2019 to 2020.
Prof. Piñeiro has held significant roles within the World Heart Federation, including two terms as a Board Member from 2011 to 2013 and from 2017 to 2018. He was also a member of the Membership Committee of the American College of Cardiology from 2016 to 2017 and served as the Chair of the Assembly of International Governors from 2015 to 2017. He was the President of the Inter-American Society of Cardiology from 2011 to 2013 and the President of the Argentine Society of Cardiology in 2005.
He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the European Society of Cardiology, and the American Heart Association. Prof. Piñeiro graduated with honors in medicine from the University of Buenos Aires. His work encompasses academic and educational activities, as well as clinical practice, with a strong interest in Public and Global Health, which is evident through his involvement with WHF Roadmaps and roundtables.
Prof. Piñeiro regularly presents his research at international and national conferences and has an extensive publication record, including books, book chapters, and articles in both international and national journals. His publications include guidelines, consensus statements, white papers, and roadmaps focused on Global Health. He has received more than ten national and international awards in recognition of his contributions to the field.

David Lloyd’s career has focussed on cultural and strategic leadership in complex environments in healthcare, medical research, and higher education, with over 30 years as a COO / CEO in major Australian not-for-profit and academic institutions in these sectors.

Prior to becoming Chief Executive of the National Heart Foundation of Australia in June 2022, David had interim leadership roles as founding CEO of SAiGENCI Cancer research institute at the University of Adelaide, and of the Australian women’s health charity Jean Hailes. He was Deputy Director of the Baker Heart Research Institute from 2005-2017, CEO of the University of Melbourne companies Melbourne Enterprises International, and Melbourne University Private from 1998-2005, and Director of the University of Tasmania’s international and commercial activities from 1993-1998. He began his career in the New Zealand public service with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and then the NZ Trade Development Board.

He has served as Chief Executive of the National Heart Foundation of Australia since June 2022. Alongside hi World Heart Federation responsibilities, he serves concurrently as Chair of the East Timor Hearts Fund, an Australian charity focussed on providing Timor Leste with support in responding to that country’s very high rates of rheumatic heart disease; and as a board member of Momentum Triathlon Academy, an Australian not for profit that works to make triathlon and endurance sport accessible to youth and young adults. He was founding Chairman of Artolution Inc, a New York based charity supporting refugee communities around the world to deal with trauma through collaborative public art projects.

Richard A. Chazal, MD, MACC

Rick Chazal is a senior cardiologist and the Medical Director for Quality/Transformation/Innovation for the Lee Health Heart Institute, part of a multi-hospital not-for-profit system in Fort Myers, Florida.  Dr. Chazal is the Past President of the American College of Cardiology.   He has practiced clinical cardiology in Fort Myers since 1983 with expertise in echocardiography, diagnostic catheterization and coronary computerized tomography angiography. During his tenure, he has been a participant in multiple clinical trials.

Chazal received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and went on to complete medical school and Internal Medicine training at the University of South Florida.  Subsequently, Chazal completed a fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease at the Krannert Institute of Cardiology at Indiana University, where he spent one year working under Harvey Feigenbaum, MD, FACC as a designated echocardiography fellow.

Chazal served as councillor, treasurer and president of the ACC’s Florida Chapter. Subsequent to his stint as president and governor for the Florida Chapter, he was elected Chair of the ACC Board of Governors.  He has also been ACC Treasurer and Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. In combined capacities, Chazal has spent thirteen years on the ACC Board of Trustees.  Nationally, Chazal has served as a member and/or chair of over 50 committees and workgroups for the College.

He has been a member of the WHF Board since 2019 and Treasurer since 2023.

He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and Omicron Delta Kappa honoraries through the University of South Florida.  He is the recipient of multiple awards from the ACC Florida Chapter, including the Special Achievement Award, the Presidential Citation, the Distinguished Service Award, and the Founder’s Award. In 2011, the Southwest Florida Affiliate of the American Heart Association awarded him their Golden Heart Award, and in 2014 he was designated Distinguished Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. He received the inaugural Community Teaching Award from the Family Medicine Residency Program via Florida State University School of Medicine Fort Myers Program in 2015. The Lee County Medical Society honored Chazal with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He serves as Professor of Clinical Sciences, Florida State University School of Medicine.

He and his wife Linda have three children and four grandchildren.

Background and Education: Worked in global health for the last close to 12 years with extensive experience and significant contributions to public health and development with a specific focus on prevention and control of NCDs. Academic background: MD, Gynecologist and Obstetrician and master’s degree in health administration and management, University of Oslo, Norway. Over 20 years of senior management experience from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations.
Professional Achievements: WHO played a pivotal role in advancing international efforts to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and we were able to advance successful implementation of global health decisions like HEARTS, at the country level and the establishment of new initiatives such as the NCD Global Compact with the engagement of the Heads of State and Government Group, Global Diabetes Compact and the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative (CCEI).
Prior to my role at WHO, I served as the CEO of the South-Eastern Regional Health Authority in Norway and implemented one of Norway’s most extensive political decisions to restructure and strengthen the public health system.
Currently, I serve as Director, Global Engagement Strategies, St Jude Global, St Jude Research Hospital and as Senior Advisor to the Innovation District, Oslo Science City, where I leverages my expertise to foster innovation and collaboration within the public and private sectors. I was also recently appointed to the World Diabetes Foundation Board of Directors.
Motivation and Goals: I am deeply honored to be the chairperson of the World Heart Federation (WHF). This role allows me to support WHF’s strategy and goals, especially leading up to the 4th High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025 and beyond. I am committed to advancing global initiatives like HEARTS and the Global Diabetes Compact, as well as fighting air pollution, integrating heart and cardiometabolic diseases into Primary Health Care (PHC), Universal Health Coverage (UHC), humanitarian settings, climate and environment, human rights, and gender agendas.
Community and Volunteer Work: My expertise spans from academic work through strategic planning, change management, health administration, research, innovation, and governance development. I have also had the pleasure of leading leadership training and development programs, strategic communication and dissemination activities. Advocacy and communication efforts have always focused on implementing and influencing political decisions at global, regional, and national levels to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), NCD targets, and national targets, ultimately saving lives, reducing morbidity, and addressing inequities.
Partnership and advocacy: It has been a great inspiration to build networks and foster participation among partners, stakeholders, the private sector, employees, patient organizations to develop solutions. Co- creation with those with lived experience has been a cornerstone for innovation and implementation. I look forward to supporting the voices of those living with or at risk of cardiometabolic diseases building on science and the best practices.

Jean-Luc Eiselé has worked in the field of medical association management for almost 20 years. He was trained as a biochemist working at the Biozentrum in Basel and the Pasteur Institute in Paris. In 1999, he joined the European Respiratory Society as Scientific Affairs Manager in charge of the Annual Congress and was offered to develop the educational activities, in particular the online portfolio. In 2001 he was nominated Deputy Executive Director and in 2007 ERS Executive Director. In 2011, he was appointed by FDI World Dental Federation as Executive Director, developing in particular its advocacy work and launching successfully the World Oral Health Day. He joined the World Heart Federation (WHF) as Chief Executive Officer in May 2017, strengthening the business model, the focus on communication and advocacy and membership engagement.