Professor Thomas Lüscher is a distinguished leader in cardiovascular medicine currently serving as Director of Research, Education and Development and Consultant Cardiologist at the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College London. A graduate of the University of Zurich medical school, he completed specialized training in cardiovascular research and echocardiography at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His distinguished career includes previous appointments as Professor and Chairman of Cardiology at the University Hospital Zurich and Director of the Centre for Molecular Cardiology at the University of Zurich. Prior to his London appointment in 2017, he held professorial positions at the University of Basel and University of Bern, establishing himself as a leading authority in cardiovascular pharmacology and interventional cardiology across Europe. His extensive clinical expertise encompasses prevention, coronary heart disease, valvular heart disease, percutaneous interventions, and heart failure management.
Professor Lüscher has made seminal contributions to our understanding of vascular biology, particularly in elucidating the role of endothelium-derived mediators in vascular tone regulation, platelet-vessel wall interactions, and the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. His research spans hypertension, lipid disorders, inflammation, and acute coronary syndromes, with a special focus on the endothelium as a critical player in cardiovascular disease, as reflected in his extensive publication record. For over a decade, he served as Editor of the European Heart Journal, transforming it into the world's premier cardiovascular publication through rigorous scientific standards and global outreach. His conceptualization of cardiovascular diseases as endothelial disorders has profoundly influenced therapeutic approaches, earning him international recognition as an expert in pharmacotherapy and interventional cardiology techniques. His work during the pandemic further reinforced his longstanding research focus by describing COVID-19 as fundamentally an endothelial disease.
As Director of Research, Education and Development at Royal Brompton & Harefield, Professor Lüscher is spearheading initiatives to establish London as a major hub for cardiovascular education through annual meetings, post-graduate courses, and international collaborations. He maintains his dual role with the Centre for Molecular Cardiology in Zurich, actively fostering research partnerships between UK and Swiss institutions to advance translational cardiovascular science and establish joint registries and clinical trials. His clinical practice encompasses the full spectrum of adult cardiology with special expertise in coronary artery disease, heart failure, and complex interventions including TAVI, renal nerve ablation, and percutaneous closure procedures. Looking forward, Professor Lüscher aims to leverage the combined strengths of Royal Brompton & Harefield and Imperial College London to accelerate the development and implementation of novel cardiovascular therapies that deliver tangible patient benefits through innovative clinical trials and technology adoption. His vision includes creating a new educational ecosystem that bridges molecular insights with clinical practice to train the next generation of cardiovascular specialists.
