ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY EDUCATION
FACULTY
PROF. TIM BETTS
Tim Betts has been a consultant cardiac electrophysiologist at Oxford University Hospitals since 2004. Prior to that, he trained in cardiology and EP in Southampton and at Northwestern in Chicago. His current practice includes ablation of a broad spectrum of arrhythmias using a variety of approaches and tools, from good old fashioned 3 wire studies to 3D mapping, non-contact mapping, RF, laser and cryoablation. The structured, didactic and meticulous nature of his training in the US has set the foundations for his approach to EP today and is replicated in the various courses that he participates in, including the long-running ‘Introduction to EP’ course and the SJM/Abbott IEPC persistent AF ablation modules. He also undertakes complex device implantation and has been an early adopter of left atrial appendage occlusion. He is the co-author of the best-selling Oxford Handbook of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology. He leads a successful research programme, participating in international multicentre trials as well as investigator-led projects in AF mapping and ablation. He has published more than 100 original papers. He remains convinced that cardiac electrophysiology is the most interesting and stimulating specialty in clinical medicine and can’t understand why more trainees don’t choose it. Outside of work, he runs a lot, sometimes for quite ridiculous distances.
DR. MARK HALL
Mark is clinical lead for EP and devices at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. He trained in cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology in Newcastle and Manchester before taking up his consultant post in 2007. He holds an honorary appointment at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. His clinical and research interests include atrial arrhythmias, stroke prevention in AF, paediatric cardiac electrophysiology, and the management of ventricular arrhythmias, including catheter ablation of ischaemic ventricular tachycardia.
DR. DERICK TODD
Dr Derick Todd is an EP consultant / nerd currently working at Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital. Derick has been a consultant since 2003 which has allowed him to bring a wealth of clinical experience to his teaching skills. Derick’s clinical interests include atrial fibrillation – with special expertise in ablation of AF, palpitations assessment e.g. ventricular ectopics SVT – with special expertise in ablation of SVT Syncope, cardiomyopathy – hypertrophic, dilated and ARVC Long QT syndrome and other inherited cardiac conditions such as sudden cardiac arrest. A word from Derick- “Learning EP can be fun. I hope after taking the Advanced EP Skills course that you will agree too! My focus is on interactive learning in an informal way. It’s great to figure out what is going on from signals and learn how to avoid pitfalls in the process. We hope to build on your knowledge to take you to that next level.” Aside from EP Derick all enjoys all kinds of sports and the odd glass of wine.
DR. TARV DHANJAL
Tarv Dhanjal has been a Consultant Cardiac Electrophysiologist at the University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire since 2016. He qualified from Birmingham Medical school with First Class Honours and completed his PhD in cardiovascular medicine in 2007. He trained in EP and complex devices at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, completed a 2 year EP fellowship at Henri Mondor Hopital, Paris and is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology. He is trained in all aspects of cardiac arrhythmia management including catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation and runs the popular ‘VT mapping & ablation sign off’ course. Tarv leads an active research programme investigating the mechanisms of scar dependent VT, utilising translational and clinical approaches such as computational modelling, machine learning, utilisation of in vivo models, evaluation of next generation mapping and ablation technology and clinical outcomes studies. He has presented at several national and international meetings and published numerous scientific papers in between playing cricket during the summer and skiing in the winter
DR. DAVID JONES
Dr. Jones is a consultant cardiologist at Harefield Hospital and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the National Heart and Lung Institute (Imperial College London). He read medicine at St Mary’s, obtaining BSc with 1st class honours in Cardiovascular Medicine 1997, followed by MBBS 2000. After graduation, he trained in internal medicine in London and Plymouth then trained in cardiology, electrophysiology and devices at Green Lane (Auckland, New Zealand), Charing Cross, Hammersmith, Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals. His clinical practice covers management of all cardiac arrhythmias, including complex devices and catheter ablation of AF, SVT and VT; he has a particular interest in treating arrhythmias in advanced heart failure and post-transplantation. His research for MD(Res), awarded 2013, examined the role of catheter ablation to treat persistent AF in heart failure. Dr Jones is dual-accredited by the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) in Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology and Cardiac Pacing/ICDs. He has wide experience on all major electrophysiology mapping systems, his clinical and research experience on the EnSite Precision™ system extending to over a decade, including early use of high-density mapping, and he is an alumnus of the SJM Interventional EP curriculum in VT. He regularly teaches cardiology trainees, electrophysiology fellows and cardiac physiologists, developed the simulation-based Harefield Transseptal Course and is clinical lead for Harefield’s catheter laboratory sim- and human factors-based training programme.
DR. DEWI THOMAS
Dewi Thomas - Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist at Morriston Hospital Regional Cardiac Centre, Swansea.
Dewi graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2002, and undertook clinical training in Edinburgh and South Wales, completing subspecialty training modules in Heart failure and EP. In 2012 he was awarded a research doctorate (MD) by Cardiff University, and in 2016 completed an advanced clinical fellowship in Electrophysiology at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.
Dewi was appointed as a Consultant Electrophysiologist in September 2016 and since then has helped lead the expansion of EP services, and in particular the development of complex ablation in South West Wales. He holds international accreditation through both American and European heart rhythm societies in invasive electrophysiology and implantable device therapy, and enjoys devoting time to the educational development of colleagues and trainees.
DR. NEIL SRINIVASAN
Dr Neil Srinivasan is a Consultant Cardiologist & Electrophysiologist and clinical academic at The Essex Cardiothoracic Centre. He is a Senior Lecturer at ARU medical school. He was previously a Locum Consultant at the Barts Heart Centre in London where he was the lead for Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation and The Lister Hospital where he was the lead for Electrophysiology.
Dr Srinivasan trained in cardiac rhythm management at The Heart Hospital in Marylebone and the Barts Heart Centre in London. During this time he undertook a PhD at the University College London (UCL) studying the mechanisms of VT/VF. He has undertaken a period of research at Washington University St Louis USA as part of this, developing non-invasive methods (ECGi) of studying the heart rhythm. He has also undertaken an observational VT fellowship in Leiden with Professor Katja Zeppenfeld. He has presented his work at national and international conferences and co-authored many major papers in the field. Recently, has pioneered the "Sense Protocol" method of functional substrate mapping in VT which has improved outcomes in VT ablation.
IAN WRIGHT
Ian Wright is a principal cardiac physiologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and has worked in electrophysiology and cardiac rhythm management for two decades. He was one of the first UK physiologists to take the NASPE EP exam (now IBHRE) – scoring in the 98th percentile. He is committed to education in EP and has taught the EP for Enthusiasts course over the last decade, developing the content to reflect developments in the field. He is a representative on BHRS council and is a member of the exam writing committee for the European Heart Rhythm Association Allied Professionals Exam. He has presented at international meetings and has been a member of faculty at the British Heart Rhythm Congress since its inception. Actively involved in research, in 2015 he was awarded the Highest Scoring Abstract in the Allied Professionals Category at HRS in Boston.
CLAIRE DOOLE
Claire started her training in Belfast and graduated from the University of Ulster with BSc (Hons) Clinical Physiology + DPP in 2009. After graduating she moved to Scotland to start her career in Cardiac Physiology and a year later moved to Manchester to gain experience in more complex and invasive cardiology. During her time at the University Hospital South Manchester she gained IBHRE CCDS and CEPS accreditation. Claire joined St. Jude Medical in September 2015 as a Field Technical Engineer, gaining 3.5 years of clinical and technical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of complex arrhythmias before moving into Abbott EP Education.
ALISON KIRKPATRICK
Alison Kirkpatrick started her Cardiology training at the world renowned Royal Brompton Hospital in 2003. Whilst there she quickly specialised in, and gained a passion for, Electrophysiology. Alison became IBHRE (EP) accredited in 2007, in addition to completing her BSc (Hons) degree in Cardiac Physiology.
Alison joined St. Jude Medical in 2010 as a technical specialist in both Electrophysiology and Cardiac Devices. In 2011, she became IBHRE (Devices) accredited.
Over the years, Alison has progressed to Senior Product Specialist and Clinical Development Specialist, culminating in joining the Abbott EP Education team as the Education Manager for London and the South-East region.
LAURA FORSYTH
Laura started as cardiac physiologist in 2001 at Bournemouth hospital and in 2006 and she started her EP and complex and device career. In 2008 Laura completed her BHRS electrophysiology exam and continued working in centres across the south coast expanding her EP and CRM knowledge.
In 2019 she joined Abbott medical as a CRM clinical specialist where Laura gained her IBHRE CCDS accreditation and now in 2021 has moved back into the electrophysiology field as part of the education team.
