Leadership & Governance
Meet Our Leadership team
Director
Dr. Paul Fedak, MD, PhD
Clinical and Academic head of the Department of Cardiac Sciences
Paul.fedak@ahs.ca
Dr. Paul Fedak is a cardiac surgeon, researcher and educator who is internationally recognized for his commitment to new surgical therapies for patients with advanced heart disease. Fedak is also a scientists and directs the Marlene and Don Campbell Family Cardiac Research Laboratory at the Cumming School of Medicine. His research interest is in developing novel ways to treat cardiovascular disease.
He has more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts, numerous published book chapters and over 18,000 citations of his work. Dr. Fedak has had great success in translating his research into the surgical suite. He has developed novel ways of closing the sternum after open-heart surgery and is working on a tissue-engineering patch made of biomaterial to treat heart failure. He is also an expert in bicuspid aortic valve surgery and its associated aortopathy, and co-leads a study with colleagues at Northwestern University in Chicago to improve precision in the diagnosis and treatment of people with the common and dangerous heart defect. The study combines cutting-edge imaging techniques, which allow a three-dimensional visualization of blood flow in the heart, with tissue analysis to help physicians determine the best treatment for individual patients.
Clinical Director
Dr. Nowell Fine, MD
nmfine@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Nowell Fine, MD, is a cardiologist and researcher who specializes in heart failure and echocardiography. He has a particular interest in infiltrative cardiomyopathies, a group of diseases characterized by abnormal substances, such as proteins, being deposited in the heart tissues. An important example of this is cardiac amyloidosis, a relatively rare disease that is believed to be significantly under-diagnosed. Fine is developing a national database for the disease.
Fine has published more than 60 journal articles, is involved in national and international medical societies focusing on heart failure and cardiac imaging. Fine is also interested in developing innovative ways to use echocardiography and other forms of cardiac imaging to guide clinical decision making.
Deputy Director
Dr. Robert Rose, PhD
robert.rose@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Robert Rose, PhD, is a professor in the departments of Cardiac Sciences and Physiology and Pharmacology at UCalgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. Rose is a basic and translational researcher with a focus on cardiac arrhythmias that occur either due to underlying genetic mutations, in the setting of common forms of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, heart failure or diabetes and in aging/frailty. More specifically, Rose’s lab studies dysfunction and disease of the sinus node, the heart’s natural pacemaker, a unique area of research.
He is also interested in arrhythmias in the atria, like atrial fibrillation, a common condition in patients with high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. His work in this area is focused on understanding the role of natriuretic peptides, a family of naturally occurring hormones that have protective functions in cardiac tissue, and examining how they can be synthetically engineered to treat heart arrhythmias and heart disease.
Education Director
Dr. Satish Raj, MD
satish.raj@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Satish Raj, MD, is a cardiologist specializing in arrhythmia. Dr. Raj completed his internal medicine and cardiology training at Queens University, before coming to Calgary for his electrophysiology training. He then competed further training in autonomic physiology at Vanderbilt University. He worked at the Vanderbilt Autonomic Dysfunction Center in Nashville, TN for 12 years. He moved back to Calgary in 2014 and founded the Calgary Autonomic Investigation & Management Clinic.
While at Vanderbilt, Dr. Raj was involved in Clinical Research Education. He served as Associate Director of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation program involved in trained committed clinician-scientists and developed a “Clinical Investigator Toolbox” Elective for residents in the Department of Medicine.
Dr. Raj is currently a professor in the Department of Cardiac Science at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. He runs an active human physiology research lab and program. Dr. Raj's primary research interests relate to understanding and better treating postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), vasovagal syncope and orthostatic hypotension.
Operations Director
Dr. Lisa Petermann, PhD
lisa.petermann@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Lisa Petermann, PhD, is a certified facilitator and change management professional, Petermann has more than 15 years of experience in the health-care sector, working with organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Alberta Health Services.
Her area of focus is strategic planning and community engagement. She earned her PhD in medical history at the University of Warwick in the UK. Petermann has contributed to several journals in the areas of health care policy and chronic disease prevention, worked on numerous national and international committees and is the current chair of the MSI Foundation Board.
The Strategic Advisory Board defines and guides the vision, strategy and expectations of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. Members are appointed from Alberta Health Services-Calgary Zone, the University of Calgary and the community. In addition to the Chair of the Advisory Board, one member serves as the Chair to the International Experts Advisory Committee and one serves as the Chair of the Community and Partners Advisory Committee.
Contact:
Dr. Eldon Smith, chair
esmith@ucalgary.ca
The Community and Partners Advisory Committee advocates for the Institute's programs and priority needs, informs program development and contributes to realizing the Institute's potential and achieving the highest international standards. The board is made up of local philanthropists and partners from organizations such as the University of Calgary, health regions from across Southern Alberta, the University of Lethbridge, the City of Red Deer, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT, and Nunavut and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. This committee meets twice a year.
Contact:
Lisa Petermann
lisa.petermann@ucalgary.ca
The International Experts Advisory Committee evaluates and provides expert advice that informs and assists the Libin Cardiovascular Institute in establishing processes for achieving the highest international standards of education, research and clinical care. Members are international physicians and scientists of world-class caliber who provide expertise and guidance on the progress and development of the Libin Institute.
The Research Committee develops, implements, monitors and evaluates the institute's research strategy. Members ensure research activities align with the the priorities outlined in the Strategic Research Plan. The committee makes recommendations to the Libin Executive Committee and is responsible for the following:
- The development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute research strategy. This includes strategic planning and consulting.
- A communication and outreach plan that promotes Libin research activities and accomplishments.
The Research Committee is open to inquiries, contact the board at libin@ucalgary.ca
Contact:
Dr. Robert Rose, Chair
Deputy Director, Libin Institute
robert.rose@ucalgary.ca
The Clinical Services Council is a multidisciplinary group of healthcare professionals who meet bi-monthly to discuss the clinical operations of the Department of Cardiac Sciences in the Calgary Zone.
Contact
Dr. Paul Fedak, Chair
Department of Cardiac Sciences Head
pwfedak@ucalgary.ca
The Education Committee develops, implements, monitors and evaluates the institute's education strategy. It ensures educational activities align with the institute’s Strategic Research Plan.
Contact:
Dr. Satish Raj, MD, Chair
Director of Education, Libin Institute
satish.raj@ucalgary.ca
The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee was created in early 2021 to ensure EDI best practices are incorporated into all aspects of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. The guiding principle of the committee is to ensure that our members and the community we support can work, learn and heal in a physically and psychologically safe environment.
The goals of this committee are:
- To develop and assess EDI policies within the LCI context
- To implement and embed EDI best practices within the LCI.
- To advise LCI leadership when a breach of EDI or harassment policy occurs.
Dr. Michelle Keir created the committee to address areas of inequity within the Institute's clinical domain. In 2022, Dr. Keir was named the EDI Lead, and the Committee was expanded to cover the academic space to unify all EDI and harassment policies.