ISHLT Announces Results of 2025 Election for Board of Directors + Professional Communities

Published 25 October 2024
  • Advanced Heart Failure & Transplantation
  • Advanced Lung Failure & Transplantation
  • Anesthesiology & Critical Care
  • Board of Directors
  • Cardiology
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Committees & Communities
  • Early Career
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Interdisciplinary Networks
  • Mechanical Circulatory Support
  • News
  • Nursing & Allied Health
  • Pathology
  • Pediatrics
  • Pharmacy
  • Professional Communities
  • Pulmonary Vascular Disease (PAH & CTEPH)
  • Pulmonology
  • Research & Immunology

The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) has announced the results of its 2025 elections, confirming a new leadership team for the Board of Directors and Professional Community Representatives. Voting was robust, with engagement reflecting diverse representation across specialties and regions. The new three-year terms begin on 1 May 2025, immediately following the 45th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions in Boston. 

Newly elected board members include:

Headshot of Peter HopkinsPresident-Elect: Peter Hopkins, FRACP (Australia)

 

 

Headshot of Stephan EnsmingerSecretary: Stephan Ensminger, MD, DPhil (Germany) (2-year term)

 

 

Headshot of Phyllis BilliaDirector: Filio (Phyllis) Billia, MD, PhD, (Canada)

 

 

Director: Robin Vos, MD, PhD, (Belgium)

 

 

Angela Velleca HeadshotDirector: Angela Velleca, MHDS, BSN, RN, CCTC (USA)

 

 

The composition of the 2025-2026 ISHLT Board: 

President: Josef Stehlik, MD, Cardiologist, USA (2027)
Past President: Christian Benden, MD, MBA, FCCP, Pediatric Pulmonologist, Switzerland (2026)
President-Elect: Peter Hopkins, FRACP, Pulmonologist, Australia (2026)
Treasurer: Mardi Gomberg-Maitland, MD, MSc, Cardiologist, USA (2027)
Secretary: Stephan Ensminger, MD, DPhil, Cardiac Surgeon, Germany (2027)
Director: Saima Aslam, MD, MS, Infectious Diseases, USA (2027)
Director: David Baran, MD, Cardiologist, USA (2027)
Director: Marta Farrero Torres, MD, PhD, Cardiologist, Spain (2027)
Director: Haifa Lyster, PhD, FRPharmS, FFRPS, Pharmacy, United Kingdom (2027)
Director: Yael Peled, MD, Cardiologist, Israel (2026)
Director: Martin Schweiger, MBA, FABS, FEBS, Cardiac Surgery, Switzerland (2026)
Director: Laurie D. Snyder, MD, MHS, Pulmonologist, USA (2026)
Director: Simon Urschel, MD, Immunologist, Pediatric Heart Transplant, Canada (2026)
Director: Filio (Phyllis) Billia, MD, PhD, Cardiologist, Canada (2028)
Director: Robin Vos, MD, PhD, Pulmonologist, Belgium (2028)
Director: Angela Velleca, MHDS, BSN, RN, CCTC, Transplant Coordinator, USA (2028)

 

Members in seven of the 10 ISHLT Professional Communities (PCs) also voted for PC leaders. ISHLT professional community leaders represent their community to the ISHLT Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committees, which direct activities in ISHLT’s pillars of Heart Failure and Transplantation, Lung Failure and Transplantation, Mechanical Circulatory Support, and Pulmonary Vascular Disease (PAH & CTEPH). 

ANESTHESIOLOGY & CRITICAL CARE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

Alessandra Verzelloni HeadshotALFTX Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Alessandra Verzelloni Sef, MD, Harefield Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Uxbridge, Hillingdon, UK

 

Vera von Dossow HeadshotMCS Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Vera von Dossow, Prof., MD, Heart and Diabetes center Bad Oeynhausen, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany

 


 

CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

Roxana Moayedifar headshotAHFTX Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Roxana Moayedifar, MD, PhD, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

 

Mauricio Villavicencio HeadshotALFTX Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Mauricio Villavicencio, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA

 

Julia Riebandt headshotMCS Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Julia Riebandt, MD, PhD, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

 


 

INFECTIOUS DISEASES PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

Madeleine Heldman headshotEarly Career & Trainee Committee Representative

Madeleine Heldman, MD, MS, Duke University, Durham, NC USA

 

Jennifer Chow HeadshotMCS Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Jennifer Chow, MD, MS, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA USA

 

Yoichiro Natori HeadshotPVD Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Yoichiro Natori, MD, MPH, Miami Transplant Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL USA

 


 

NURSING & ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

Christiana Gjelaj HeadshotAHFTX Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Christiana Gjelaj, DNP, Montefiore Medical Center, Scarsdale, NY USA

 

Morgan Wahl HeadshotEarly Career & Trainee Committee Representative

Morgan Wahl, RN, BSN, Inova Fairfax, Falls Church, VA USA

 


 

PHARMACY PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

Heidi Brink headshotPVD Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Heidi Brink, PharmD, BCPS, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA

 


 

PULMONOLOGY PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

Carli Lehr HeadshotALFTX Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Carli Lehr, MD, PhD, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH USA

 

Colin Church HeadshotPVD Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Colin Church, BSC(Hons), PhD, FRCP, Golden Jubilee National University Hospital, UK

 


 

RESEARCH & IMMUNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

Headshot of Forum KamdarAHFTX Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Forum Kamdar, MD, PhD, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA

 

Julie Semenchuk HeadshotEarly Career & Trainee Committee Representative

Julie Semenchuk, BSc, MD, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

 

Kadir Caliskan headshotMCS Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Kadir Caliskan, MD, PhD, FESC, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherland

 

Roberto BadagliaccaPVD Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee Representative

Roberto Badagliacca, MD, PhD, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy

 

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees.