NUHCS at ESC Heart & Stroke and Eurothrombosis 2025
PULSE Issue 47 | July 2026
Last November, the historic city of Milan set the stage for an important milestone in cardiovascular and stroke medicine. From 15-16 November 2025, the first joint scientific meeting of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Heart & Stroke and EuroThrombosis communities brought together leading experts to explore the evolving field of heart-brain medicine.
Held at the University of Milan, the meeting united two major ESC groups – the Council on Stroke and the Working Group on Thrombosis1 – in a shared effort to better understand the complex links between cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease2.
Designed as a cross-disciplinary meeting, the programme comprised state-of-the-art lectures, interactive case-based sessions, and multiple moderated poster presentations on crucial topics including:
The National University Heart Centre, Singapore (NUHCS) was strongly represented by a diverse team of 11 participants, ranging from medical students to senior residents7. Guided by Dr Sia Ching Hui, Consultant, Department of Cardiology, NUHCS, and Dr Benjamin Tan, Consultant, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital (NUH), the group contributed more than 10 research posters8, reflecting NUHCS’ growing impact in cardiovascular and stroke research.
Amid a packed programme, two Singapore-led lectures stood out for placing regional priorities within a global context. In Dr Sia’s presentation, “The Global Burden of CVD Prevention: Insights and Challenges”, he highlighted the importance of fundamentals such as blood pressure control, sustainable healthcare strategies, and equitable access to treatment – issues that remain critical worldwide.
Dr Benjamin Tan shared an Asian perspective on how the heart and brain are closely connected in a keynote session on “Navigating Heart-Brain Interactions: A Global Perspective”, highlighting the risk factors, causes and symptoms that differ across regions. His presentation spotlighted the care and prevention strategies that need to be tailored to Asia’s unique population and healthcare realities, considering how long-term disability and cognitive decline determine future health challenges.
The meeting also marked a proud moment for the team, as Dr Gabriel Kwok, House Officer, NUH, was awarded 2nd prize in the top stroke research abstracts for his work, “Early Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment in a Young Southeast Asian Cohort”. This recognition signals rising global interest in research, particularly in areas that remain underexplored, such as cognitive recovery and return-to-work outcomes after stroke.
The ESC Heart & Stroke and EuroThrombosis 2025 meeting demonstrated the value of collaboration across disciplines in advancing of heart-brain medicine. For NUHCS, it was not only an opportunity to showcase its research and clinical expertise, but also a platform to build new partnerships and ideas. As cardiovascular and stroke care continues to evolve, Singapore’s contributions are helping to shape conversations on the global stage, while reinforcing our institute’s commitment to improving patient outcomes both regionally and beyond.
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