The Election Committee (ELCOM) has carefully selected the following candidates from the nominations, using criteria based on qualifications, experience, and dedication to our Society. We firmly believe that they possess the necessary skills and expertise to guide EAS towards continued success. After Prof Maciej Banach concludes his term by the end of 2024, the incoming candidate will step into the role. Their term will extend from 2025 to 2028.
We are pleased to announce the candidates for the position of Secretary:
Professor Ulrich Laufs
Head of the Department of Cardiology, University of Leipzig
Biography
Ulrich Laufs is Chief of Cardiology and Interventional Cardiologist at Leipzig University Hospital, as well as Professor of Cardiology at Leipzig University, Germany. After completing his training at the Universities of Bochum and Hamburg, he was resident at the University of Cologne and spent 2 years as post-doctoral researcher at the Cardiovascular Division of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, USA. Since that time, Professor Laufs has published multiple experimental and clinical studies on the regulation of cardiovascular function by lipoproteins and lipid-modifying medications. Subsequently, he also undertook fellowships at the Universities of Cologne and the Saarland. Before moving to Leipzig in 2017, he was Professor for Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Vice-chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Medicine at the University of Saarland in Homburg, Germany.
Professor Laufs heads a research group focused on cellular and molecular mechanisms, and clinical studies of cardiovascular prevention with a special interest in lipid disorders. His group has > 500 publications listed medline that have been cited >363,000 times (H-index 89).
Laufs serves as elected member of the board of the German Society of Cardiology, spokesperson of the D•A•CH-Gesellschaft Herz-Kreislauf-Prävention, member of the federal drug commissions of the German Physicians and German Pharmacists and in several editorial boards of cardiovascular journals. Professor Laufs has received numerous honours, including a first place in the Young Investigator Award of the American College of Cardiology, the Population Sciences Award of the European Society of Cardiology, the Paul Martini Award, and the Albert Fraenkel Award of the German Cardiac Society. He is proud member of the EAS for more than a decade participating in multiple EAS activities including consensus papers, commitees, educational activities and serving as co-chair of the German FH-registry (CaReHigh) and in the progam comitee of the 2023 EAS scientific conference.
Vision statement
My main three goals for the service as Secretary in the EAS Executive committee would be to
1) Strengthen the influence of the national societies within the EAS and to broaden the number of
individuals that are actively involved in the EAS activities.
2) The individual members of the EAS have world-leading expertise and knowledge in very
diverse areas of atherosclerosis spanning all aspects from basic science and clinical research to
patient care. My goal is to make this treasure available within the EAS and beyond. For example,
the EAS homepage has the potential to be the got-to resource on atherosclerotic diseases in
Europe. I believe that the opportunity is to structure the content already available within the
society. Our materials need to be connected, provided with modern graphics, web- /podcasts,
social media content, and state-of-the art CME. I believe that we can derive significant potential
from the contents of our scientific meeting and, importantly, and through our journal,
Atherosclerosis. At the same time, there is the opportunity to use the digital activities to support
both the EAS meeting and to increase the visibility and impact factor of the Journal.
3) To use the joint expertise and power of the EAS membership to address national and European
policy makers, e.g. with regard to cholesterol screening programs, research funding or European
standards for laboratory testing.
Current positions
(Information on all positions, both within companies and other Societies)
Companies
- None
Other Societies
- Professor of Cardiology, Leipzig University – permanent
- Chief of Cardiology, Leipzig University Hospital – permanent
- Elected member of the Board, German Society of Cardiology – Election period until April 2025
- Elected member of the Board, past-president, D•A•CH-Gesellschaft Herz-Kreislauf-Prävention – Election period until April 2025
- Member of the National Federal Drug Commissions of the German Physicians and German Pharmacists – Nomination period until summer 2026
Maintaining Integrity in EAS Scientific and Clinical Activities
EAS manages conflicts of interest to maintain integrity in scientific and clinical activities organized by its members. This includes guidelines, consensus papers, journals, congresses, and educational content. Please see the complete disclosure of potential conflicts of interest below.
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Professor Paolo Parini
Professor, Senior Consultant, Director of Research & Development, Education and Innovation
Cardio Metabolic Unit, Department of Laboratory Medicine, and Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet at Huddinge University Hospital; and International and
National Affairs Department, Karolinska University Hospital
Biography
Paolo Parini was born in Rimini, Italy, in 1964.
He gained his MD degree in 1990 at the Universita’ di Bologna, Italy, where he also obtained his specialization in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, in 1994. The same year Parini was registered as PhD-student at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, under the supervision of Prof Mats Rudling and Prof Bo Angelin. In 1999, he obtained his PhD defending a thesis entitled “Hormonal regulation of hepatic cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism: effects of estrogen and growth hormone” and since then his research activities are focused on the different aspects of lipoprotein metabolism in humans and in preclinical models.
Professor Parini’s postdoctoral activities have been performed at the Dept of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and in the lab of Prof Lawrence Rudel, Lipid Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine Winston-Salem, NC, US. In 2006, he moved to the Dept of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and created a research group together with Prof Mats Eriksson. From 2010 to 2016, Paolo Parini was the Director of the Division of Clinical Chemistry, Dept. of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. In 2011, he obtained the specialization in Clinical Chemistry (Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare) and in 2012 he become full professor in Clinical Chemistry at the Dept of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. Since 2015, his professorship became “translational” being located 50% at the Dept of Laboratory Medicine and 50% at the Dept of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet.
Since January 2017, Professor Parini is also the Director of Research, Development, Education, and Innovation currently at the National and International Affairs of the Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden. He is member of the Faculty Council the Karolinska Institutet and member of the Scientific Committee of the Center E. Grossi Paoletti, Universita’ di Milano, Italy. Professor Parini has been visiting professor in 2022 and 2023 at he Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Dept of Medicine, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and at Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, and visiting professor at the Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano (2017 – 2019).
Professor Parini served on the Society’s Executive Committee as Treasurer between 2018 and 2021. He has represented Sweden in the Steering Committee of the European Lipoprotein Club (2005-2010) and in the Steering Committee of the Scandinavian Society of Atherosclerosis Reseach (2008 – 2021). He has been the Chairman of the Scandinavian Society of Atherosclerosis Research between 2011 and 2015.
Vision statement
I am glad to confirm my acceptance to be one of the candidates for the election as Secretary of the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS).
I firmly believe that the mission of the EAS is to support, foster, and advance research in and the management of diseases characterized by the atherosclerotic process, and beyond. This is particularly vital in our current era, where various forms of dyslipidemias and atherosclerosis are recognized as shared pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying several diseases impacting not only the cardiovascular system but also other systems and organs in the body. These pathological conditions are now grouped under the umbrella of cardiometabolic diseases.
If elected, my actions will be guided by my belief in the critical importance of strengthening the foundational role that EAS plays in promoting and integrating high-quality basic and clinical research. Additionally, I also prioritize educating the diverse healthcare professions responsible for patient care and engaging patient associations to advocate for patients’ needs. I am committed to ensuring that the EAS fulfills its essential role in nurturing and mentoring the next generation of basic and clinical researchers, as well as healthcare professionals. It is imperative that we facilitate a seamless transition into an increasingly digital landscape, recognizing that AI systems will not replace researchers and healthcare professionals but will instead augment their capabilities. By equipping ourselves and the next generation with knowledge and understanding of AI, we can harness its potential responsibly.
Throughout my career, I’ve held management roles both domestically at Karolinska Institutet (KI) and Karolinska University Hospital (KUH), as well as internationally. At KI, I served as the Head of the Division of Clinical Chemistry within the Department of Laboratory Medicine from 2011 to 2015. Currently, I hold the position of Coordinator of the Cardio Metabolic Unit within the Department of Medicine at KI, and I’m a member of KI’s Faculty Council. Furthermore, I serve as the Director of Research, Education, Development & Innovation, at the National and International Affairs at KUH.
On an international scale, I’ve chaired the Scandinavian Society for Atherosclerosis Research from 2011 to 2015 and served as an Executive Board Member and Treasurer of the European Atherosclerosis Society from 2018 to 2021.
During my tenure as Treasurer of the EAS, I gained valuable insight into the legal requirements necessary for the effective operation of the Society. I actively contributed to defining operational processes that have since facilitated the management of the EAS. Additionally, I played a role in the operational reorganization of the EAS Office in Gothenburg, contributing to its efficiency and effectiveness.
Since 2019, I’ve been honored to be a member of the International Scientific Advisory Board of the Dutch Heart Foundation and serve as the Swedish representative of the European Association for Predictive, Preventive & Personalized Medicine (EPMA). I also a member of the Healthcare Data Innovation Council and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Network Medicine Global Alliance and Institutet.
As a professor, I’ve had the privilege of supervising and co-supervising numerous students at various academic levels, including medical, biomedical, and postgraduate students. I’ve also been actively involved in pre-graduate teaching of medical and biomedical students, as well as contributing to postgraduate education. In my clinical practice, I specialize in treating patients with complex dyslipidemias and rare diseases affecting lipoprotein and lipid metabolism. I’m deeply engaged in both pre-clinical, clinical research, and drug development, driving forward advancements in these areas.
In my role as a leader, I have always been very interested in leadership matters, actively engaging in an International Leadership Community for an extended period. I advocate empathetic leadership, focusing on fostering functional and adaptable structures and teams grounded in principles of community, shared responsibility, and collective success. My longstanding commitment to international cooperation underscores my belief in its pivotal role in the development of leading organizations and contributing to global progress.
I am a committed advocate for an inclusive EAS, where all diverse experiences, opinions, viewpoints, cultures, ages, and genders are not only welcomed but also equally respected and accepted. By embracing this diversity, we can collaboratively create common strategies rooted in the founding values of the EAS.
Current Positions
(Information on all positions, both within companies and other Societies)
Companies
- Co-Founder and CEO of Lipoprotein Research Stockholm AB
Other societies
- Past member of the Executive Committee and Treasurer of the European Atherosclerosis Society.
- Member of the International Scientific Advisory Board of the Dutch Heart Foundation.
- Academic coordinator for Karolinska Institutet in the International Network Medicine Consortium.
- Member of the Policy Working Group and of the Research Lead of the European University Hospital Alliance.
- Member of the Healthcare Data Innovation Council.
- Swedish national representative of the European Association for Predictive, Preventive & personalized Medicine.
- He was appointed Swedish national representative in the Scandinavian Society for Atherosclerosis Research (SSAR) in 2008, for which he also served as chairperson (2011-2015).
Maintaining Integrity in EAS Scientific and Clinical Activities
EAS manages conflicts of interest to maintain integrity in scientific and clinical activities organized by its members. This includes guidelines, consensus papers, journals, congresses, and educational content.
Please see the complete disclosure of potential conflicts of interest below.