Aortic Dissection Awareness Month | Expert Panel Webinar – Sept 24, 2024, at 6 PM ET
In honour of Aortic Dissection Awareness Month, GADA is hosting a special expert panel webinar on September 24 at 6 PM ET. This educational event will focus on the latest in aortic dissection diagnosis, treatment, and the critical role of genetic testing and mental health management.
Our panelists, including top cardiovascular surgeons, geneticists, and mental health experts, will cover key topics such as:
• Accurate diagnosis and medical management of aortic dissections
• Advances in surgical treatment
• Importance of genetic testing and screening
• Coping mechanisms for PTSD, anxiety, and grief
Panelists:
• Dr. Sara Thorne: Diagnosis & Medical Management
• Dr. Jennifer Chung: Surgical Treatment
• Dr. Dianna Milewicz: Genetic Testing & Cascade Screening
• Dr. Jeff Daskalakis: Mental Health Coping Mechanisms
Audience: Patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals are encouraged to join!
Register now and submit your questions in advance.
Panelist Bios:
Dr. Sara Thorne, MD. Cardiologist, Adult Congenital Heart Disease, PMCC, UHN, Toronto
GADA Professional Advisory Board Member
Dr. Sara Thorne joined the Toronto Adult Congenital Heart Disease program in 2019 after 20 years in practice at University Hospital Birmingham UK where she established the regional Adult Congenital Heart Disease Unit and a renowned Obstetric Cardiology Program with Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital. She has published widely in the field and collaborated closely with UK national bodies, working to improve cardiovascular maternal morbidity and mortality. Her areas of expertise are Cardiac Disease in Pregnancy, Aortopathy, and general Adult Congenital Heart Disease. Dr. Thorne is on the Professional Advisory Board (PAB) for GADA Canada.
Dr. Jennifer Chung, MD MSc FRCSC, Director of the Thoracic Aortic Surgical Clinic at PMCC / UHN, Cardiovascular Surgeon - Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network, Associate Professor, University of Toronto
Dr. Jennifer Chung is a cardiac surgeon specializing in aortic surgery and an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. She completed cardiac surgery residency at McGill University, followed by the Advanced Aortic Surgery fellowship at the University of Toronto. She is Director of the Thoracic Aortic Surgery Clinic and co-Program Director of the Advanced Aortic Surgery Fellowship. She holds the Melanie Munk Professorship in Aortic Biomechanical Research. She is cross-appointed as Assistant Professor in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. Her research program lies at the intersection of engineering and cardiac surgery, focusing on the study of aortic biomechanics to better understand why and how aortas fail.
Dr. Dianna M. Milewicz, MD, PhD, Medical Geneticist, UTHealth Houston, Past Chair and current member of GADA – Professional Advisory Board Executive Chair, Montalcino Aortic Consortium
Dr. Milewicz, is the President George H.W. Bush Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine, Director of the Division of Medical Genetics and Vice-Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) McGovern Medical School. She completed her postgraduate training in internal medicine, specialized further in medical genetics, and forged a career in translational studies focused on genetic predisposition to vascular diseases. She has received numerous honors and awards for her research, including the Antoine Marfan Award, the Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist Award and the University of Texas Presidential Scholars Award for Excellence in Research. She has been inducted into the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. Dr. Milewicz is the Past Chair of GADA Professional Advisory Board (PAB) and continues to provide her expertise as an active member of the PAB. Dr. Milewicz is the Executive Chair of the Montalcino Aortic Consortium (MAC), managing the largest genetic Aortopathy research registry in the world.
Dr. Zafiris "Jeff" Daskalakis, MD, PhD, FRCP, Psychiatrist, UC San Diego Health, California
Dr. Zafiris "Jeff" Daskalakis, is a psychiatrist and internationally recognized expert in treating severe psychiatric disorders with magnetic brain stimulation, also known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). As chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Daskalakis is leading research on the use of TMS in people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts and obsessive compulsive disorders. Treatment-resistant diseases are those that may not be resolved adequately through traditional medications and talk therapy alone. Prior to joining UC San Diego Health in 2020, he was a professor of psychiatry at University of Toronto, co-director of the Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention and chief of the General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems Division, both at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto.
EVENT DISCLAIMER: The contents of this GADA Canada hosted virtual event, such as presentations, discussions, text, graphics, images, and other materials created or presented by GADA Canada and by others appearing in the event at the invitation of GADA Canada are for educational and informational purposes only. GADA Canada is a voluntary health organization and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or recommendations on diagnosis or treatment of genetic aortic disorders. The content within this virtual event or the GADA website, www.gadacanada.ca, should not replace necessary consultations with qualified health care professionals for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Genetic aortic disorders are complex, multi-system disorders that can only be properly diagnosed and managed by skilled and trained health care professionals. The manifestations and severity of these disorders vary greatly among individuals and require personalized medical management. None of the medications, courses of treatment or lifestyle & activity recommendations discussed in this virtual event should be undertaken without being discussed with your physician.