Paulus Kirchhof

Paulus Kirchhof is Director of the Department of Cardiology at the University Heart and Vascular Center Hamburg and holds an honorary position as Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine in the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Birmingham. Professor Kirchhof trained and practiced as a cardiologist and electrophysiologist at the University of Münster from 1997 to 2011 and continued his career as Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Birmingham and as consultant cardiologist at UHB and SWBH NHS trusts from 2011 to 2020. In Birmingham, he co-founded the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and was its director until moving to Hamburg. Professor Kirchhof researches translational mechanisms and management of cardiovascular diseases with a special interest in atrial fibrillation, cardiomyopathies, and heart failure. His research led to over 650 papers and he has been listed in the Clarivate list of highly cited researchers from 2016 - 2024. Paulus works closely works with a network of collaborators and friends around the world. His research aims to translate new mechanistic findings into better clinical diagnosis and therapy, covering mechanistic research, translational studies, and large clinical trials. Paulus Kirchhof chairs the Board of AFNET and worked on the Board of the European Society of Cardiology for many years in different roles. He is an enthusiastic teacher, regular supervisor and examiner for MD and PhD students, and a sought-after speaker. He also contributes to guidelines, curricula, and textbooks. Professor Kirchhof sees amazing opportunities for personalised medicine in cardiovascular and other chronic diseases, particularly through the integration of “omics” information and other large data sets with clinical outcomes.