meet the speakers

Dr Kostner - Clinical Lipodology Congress Speakers
Karam Kostner

Associate Professor, MD, PhD, FRACP, FCSANZ, Director of Cardiology, Mater Hospital Brisbane, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Queensland

KARAM KOSTNER

Dr. Karam Kostner is a distinguished cardiologist and lipidologist based in Brisbane, Australia. He serves as Director of Cardiology at Mater Hospital Brisbane and holds an academic position as Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Queensland. With over 20 years of experience, his clinical and research focus encompasses lipid disorders, cardiovascular prevention, and lipoprotein metabolism. Dr. Kostner has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and has been a principal investigator in numerous clinical trials exploring new cholesterol-lowering therapies. He has organized and chaired several international conferences, including the World Congress of Clinical Lipidology, and is actively involved in editorial roles for leading cardiovascular journals.

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Dr Martin Clodi - Clinical Lipodology Congress Speakers
Martin Clodi

University Professor
Specialist in Internal Medicine
Head of the Internal Medicine Department, BHB Linz

Martin Clodi, MD

Martin Clodi is a professor of medicine and head of the Department of Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the Brothers of Mercy in Linz, Austria. He is also a board member of the Clinical Research Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases at Johannes Kepler University Linz. Trained in internal medicine, endocrinology, nephrology, and intensive care, his work bridges clinical care and academic research. His scientific focus includes insulin signaling, diabetes, lipid metabolism, and cardio-metabolic diseases. Professor Clodi has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and serves as principal investigator in numerous Phase II and III clinical trials. He is actively involved in national medical societies and guideline development.

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Dr Florian Kronenberg - Clinical Lipodology Congress Speakers
Florian Kronenberg

Head of Institute of Genetic Epidemiology

Florian Kronenberg

Florian Kronenberg received his MD from the University of Innsbruck, Austria. After his training in Medical Genetics in Gerd Utermann's lab, he worked with Roger R. Williams and Steve Hunt at the University of Utah, USA. Later, he headed the Research Unit "Genetic Epidemiology" at the Helmholtz-Center Munich. In 2004, he became full professor and head of the Institute of Genetic Epidemiology at the Medical University of Innsbruck. He is a Member of the Academia Europaea.

His main research interests are genetic and clinical epidemiological studies on lipoprotein(a) as one of the most important genetic risk factors for cardiovascular disease. His team has probably the largest collection of samples with more than 40.000 individuals with in depth characterization of the LPA gene including data from Western blot analyses.

He is Co-Editor of "Atherosclerosis" and served as workgroup member on several guideline and consensus initiatives (K/DOQI, KDIGO and EAS). He chaired the most recent EAS Consensus Statement on Lp(a) (together with Samia Mora and Erik Stroes).

Florian Kronenberg has published roughly 500 papers including 400 original papers and about 90 review articles, editorials and book chapters. He has an H-index of 96 (Scopus) and 112 (Google Scholars) with roughly 51,000 citations.

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Dr Maciej Banach - Clinical Lipodology Congress Speakers
Maciej Banach

Head of Cardiovascular Research Centre at University of Zielona Gora. Cardiologist, Prorector for Collegium Medicum, the John Paul II, Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland 

Maciej Banach

Prof. Maciej Banach is a Vice-Rector for Collegium Medicum in the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) and Head of Department of Preventive Cardiology and Lipidology at the Medical University of Lodz (MUL). He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, and Senior Research Fellow at the Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences (LCCS). He is a Founder and Head of the Polish Lipid Association (PoLA), Founder of the Lipid and Blood Pressure Meta-analysis Collaboration (LBPMC) Group, and President of the International Lipid Expert Panel (ILEP). Prof. Banach is within 1% the highest cited scientists in the world according to Essential Science Indicators by Clarivate (with 76 TOP Papers) and one of the most cited scientist in Poland with 97,354, IH=109 acc. Web of Science Core Collection, and 175,577 citations, IH=146 acc. Google Scholar. He is a laureate of several prizes and award, including: the Most Influential Person in Medicine in Poland for year 2023 on the Top 100 list by Puls Medycyny journal (2024), and 5 recognitions of Doctor Honoris Causa (at the Universities in Zagreb, Kosice, Bucharest, Kiev, and Timisoara).

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Warrick Bishop - Clinical Lipodology Congress Speakers
Warrick Bishop

Practicing cardiologist, best selling author, and keynote speaker and who has a passion to help prevent heart disease on a global scale.

Warrick Bishop

Doctor Warrick Bishop is a practicing cardiologist, best selling author, and keynote speaker and who has a passion to help prevent heart disease on a global scale.

What if you could plan NOT to have a heart attack?

Dr Warrick Bishop, a widely renowned practicing cardiologist, is on a mission to help patients do just that. He’s spoken on TEDx stages and sat on countless interviews, including 60 Minutes and ABC Radio, delivering eye-opening insights that have enabled patients to have meaningful conversations about their heart health with their doctors and valuable information on life-changing technological advancements that could impact patients’ health.

By using both advocacy and the latest in emerging technologies for earlier detection and assessment of those at risk for heart attack. If you or someone you know is near the age of 40, have a family history of heart attacks, or are worried about a heart attack then you should read this book... It just may save your life or the life of somebody you love.

Author Doctor Warrick Bishop is a 3-Time #1 International Best Selling Author and Cardiologist with a special interest in cardiovascular disease prevention incorporating imaging, lipids, and lifestyle.

Graduating from the University of Tasmania, School of Medicine, in 1988. He worked in the Northern Territory and South Australia before completing his advanced training in cardiology in Hobart, Tasmania, becoming a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians and Member of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand in 1997. Working predominately in private practice. In 2009 Warrick undertook training in CT Cardiac Coronary Angiography, being the first cardiologist in Tasmania with this specialist recognition.

Doctor Warrick Bishop shares his unique perspective on using non-invasive imaging technology and provides a concise plan in preventing a heart attack.

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Professor Derek Connolly - Clinical Lipodology Congress Speakers
Derek Connolly

Prof BSc [1st Cl. Hons] MB ChB [Edin] PhD [Cantab] DSc[Hon] FRCP FESC is a Consultant Cardiologist at Birmingham City Hospital

Derek Connolly

BSc[Hons] MB ChB[Edin] PhD[Cantab] DSc[Hon] FRCP FRCPE FESC

Consultant Cardiologist, The Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, Birmingham

Professor Derek Connolly is a Consultant Cardiologist at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, the Priory Hospital, and the Birmingham City and Sandwell Health Campuses in Birmingham, UK. He holds honorary academic positions at both Aston University and at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK.

He has a very large clinical practice and gives over 100 lectures each year on all aspects of Cardiology particularly in preventive cardiology. He has been on the council of the UK Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, which has over 6000 members, since its rebirth in 2019.

He trained in Edinburgh, Cambridge, London and San Diego where he was a Carnegie Scholar. He has a first class degree in Pharmacology from the University of Edinburgh where he was the Brunton medallist and Keasbey Bursary holder. His BHF funded PhD in molecular cardiology is from the University of Cambridge. He is the Chief or Primary Investigator of multiple large trials in Cardiovascular medicine. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Aston University for his contributions to medical science where in December 2024 was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow in Health Research.

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Peter P Toth - Clinical Lipodology Congress Speakers
Peter Toth

Peter P. Toth, MD, PhD, FCCP, FESC, FAHA, FACC, Director of Preventive Cardiology, CGH Medical Center, Professor of Clinical Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois School of Medicine, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Peter Toth

Dr. Toth brings a rare blend of clinical leadership, academic excellence, and global influence in cardiovascular prevention. He is a trusted authority in the field, guiding both clinical practice and cutting-edge research.

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Gerald Watts- Clinical Lipodology Congress Speakers
Gerald Watts
Caroline Bachmeier - Speaker HR Clinical Lipodology Congress Speakers
Caroline Bachmeier

University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia  |  Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Brisbane, Australia  |  Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia 

Caroline Bachmeier

Caroline is a Chemical Pathologist and Endocrinologist based in Brisbane. She completed her medical training in Germany, Spain and the UK prior to emigrating to Australia. She enjoys all aspects of clinical endocrinology and laboratory medicine and has developed an interest in lipid diagnostics and management. She is currently undertaking research in the field of newborn screening for FH.

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Christoph- Clinical Lipodology Congress Speakers
Christoph Binder

Professor of Atherosclerosis Research  |  Department of Laboratory Medicine  |  Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Christoph Binder

Christoph J. Binder (born 1973) received his MD degree from the University of Vienna, Austria, in 1997 and his PhD degree in Molecular Pathology from the University of California San Diego (UCSD), USA, in 2002. Following postdoctoral training at the Department of Medicine of UCSD, he established his own research group at the Department of Laboratory Medicine of the Medical University of Vienna in 2005. In 2009, he was appointed Full Professor of Atherosclerosis Research at the Medical University of Vienna. He is a specialist in Laboratory Medicine and currently Deputy Head of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna. Between 2006 until 2021 he was Principal Investigator at the Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Christoph Binder’s research interests span the interface of vascular biology, lipid oxidation, and immunity. His group is investigating immune mechanisms of atherosclerosis with a special focus on the role of innate and humoral immunity and how this can be exploited for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Christoph Binder has won numerous prestigious fellowships and awards and has authored >200 original and review papers in important international journals, including Nature and Nature Medicine. He is Co-Editor of Atherosclerosis and Section Editor of Thrombosis & Haemostasis, and since 2017 PI of the Austrian Familial Hypercholesterolemia Registry. Since 2024 he acts as Vice President for Biology and Medicine of the Austrian Science Fund.

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Gerhard Kostner

Professor, PhD
Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Medical University of Graz, Austria

GERHARD KOSTNER

Professor Gerhard M. Kostner is an internationally recognized expert in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, with a distinguished career spanning several decades. He served as a professor at the Medical University of Graz, Austria, where he made significant contributions to the understanding of lipid oxidation, atherogenesis, and the role of microRNAs in lipid metabolism. He has authored over 500 publications and has been a key figure in numerous collaborative research projects. His work has greatly influenced the field of cardiovascular medicine and lipidology.

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Kurt Widhalm

Univ.-Prof. Dr. 
Facharzt für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde 

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Elena Osto

Head Division of Physiology and Pathophysiology Otto Loewi Research Center for Vascular Biology, Immunology and Inflammation

Elena Osto

Elena Osto is since 2023 Chair and Director of the Division of Physiology and Pathophysiology at the Medical University of Graz, Austria. She has been from 2019-2023 Assistant Professor funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation PRIMA-Grant at the University Hospital and University of Zurich. She obtained her MD and PhD degrees at the University of Padova, Italy, where she also became a board-certified cardiologist.

Her research focuses on cardio-metabolic research and she is specialized in endothelial metabolism and function in immuno-metabolic disarrangements like obesity, diabetes and aging. Her clinical expertise focuses on advanced non-invasive cardiac imaging and sex-differences in coronary microvascular dysfunction. She is recipient of prestigious awards and member of international professional associations in the field of cardiology and vascular biology like the European Society for Microcirculation. She is Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) since 2015; Chairperson 2024-26 of the Working Group: Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology (WG-AVB) of the ESC.

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Walter Speidl

Assoc. Prof. Priv.-Doz. Dr. Walter Speidl
Medical University of Vienna 
Department of Internal Medicine II
Division of Cardiology

Walter Speidl

Associate Professor Dr. Walter Speidl is clinical cardiologist and intensivist at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria. He started his residency at the Medical University of Vienna in 2003 and was research fellow at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York from 2006 to 2008. In 2014 he finished his clinical fellowships for cardiology and for intensive care medicine. He is working as deputy chair of the medical intensive care unit and as interventionist. In 2018 he founded a dedicated cardiac lipid clinic to improve secondary prevention of high-risk patients and is its head since then. His clinical research focuses on lipids and biomarkers of inflammation and thrombosis in stable coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndromes. 

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Thomas Stulnig

University Professor, Specialist in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology & Diabetology, Head Department of Medicine III, Clinic Hietzing, Vienna

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Bernhard Ludvik
Bernard Ludvik
  • Born: June 21, 1961, in Vienna, Austria
  • MD: University of Vienna, February 7, 1985
  • Internal Medicine specialist since 1991 (University of Vienna)
  • Research Fellow at UC San Diego (Max-Kade Fellowship) 1992–1994
  • Board-certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1996; Associate Professor, 1998
  • Leadership roles: Former Deputy Head of Endocrinology & Metabolism at AKH Vienna; since 2014 Head of the 1st Medical Department (Diabetology, Endocrinology, Nephrology) and of the Karl Landsteiner Institute for Obesity and Metabolic Disorders at Clinic Landstraße, Vienna
  • Editor-in-Chief of Obesity Facts, The European Journal of Obesity
  • Past President of the Austrian Obesity Association, Diabetes Initiative Austria, and Austrian Diabetes Association
  • Research focus: obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, lipid metabolism, and nutritional medicine
  • Publications: over 260 peer-reviewed scientific papers
  • Citation metrics (Google Scholar): h-index 58, over 16,500 citations, i10-index 5,567
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Steve Humphries

Emeritus BHF Professor Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute Cardiovascular Science, University College London

Steve Humphries

Steve Humphries is a world-renowned expert in cardiovascular genetics with a focus on   Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH).  He worked at University College London from 1991, where he was the British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular Genetics, retiring in September 2015 and is the BHF UCL Emeritus Professor of Cardiovascular Genetics. He directed a major research programme to develop and implement molecular strategies to study the genetic causes and clinical and psychological consequences of FH. He was the Lead Advisor to the UK NICE guidelines on FH published in 2008, and updated in 2017, and has published on the health economics of cascade testing and Universal Screening for FH. He is is a member of the Cholesterol and FH expert Advisory Group and is the Director of the UK FH Paediatric Register and the Simon Broome FH Register. He is actively involved with teaching, ethics, and public awareness aspects of the implementation of genetic testing for FH.

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Azin Kheirkhah

Researcher at the Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Medical University of Innsbruck.

Azin Kheirkhah

Azin Kheirkhah is a researcher at the Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Medical University of Innsbruck. She completed her PhD, focusing on PCSK9 in cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases. Azin holds a BSc in Biomedical Sciences from King’s College London and an MSc in Immunology from Imperial College London. She is an EAS Young Fellow and the initiator of the AtheroTalk Podcast.

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Martin Bogsrud

MD from University of Oslo and PhD from the Lipid Clinic at Oslo University Hospital

Martin Bogsrud

Martin P. Bogsrud is MD from University of Oslo (2007) and PhD from the Lipid Clinic at Oslo University Hospital (2012). Bogsrud specialized in family medicine and have experience from internal medicine and general practice. He established and lead the National Advisory Unit on Familial Hypercholesterolemia (2014-2020), researcher (2020-2022) and lead the Unit for Cardiac and Cardiovascular Genetics at Oslo University Hospital (2022-2025). The Unit for Cardiac and Cardiovascular Genetics is a national laboratory for genetic testing and the national family cascade screening program in familial hypercholesterolemia in Norway. Bogsrud have special interest in familial hypercholesterolemia, children, genetics and diagnosis, treatment targets, screening strategies, preventive medicine. Since march 2025, Bogsrud is Director for pharmaceuticals and biomedicine at the Norwegian Directorate of Health.

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Winfried März

Univ. Prof. i.R. Dr. Winfried März
Direktor SYNLAB Akademie & Business Development Manager

Winfried März

Prof. Dr. Winfried März studied human medicine at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, where he also completed his training in laboratory medicine. He received his postdoctoral qualification (habilitation) from the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg with a thesis on "Genetics and Pathobiochemistry of Apolipoprotein B-Containing Lipoproteins."
He served for many years as a university professor at the Clinical Institute for Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics at the Medical University of Graz, Austria, where he continues his research as emeritus professor. He is currently also a scientific associate at the Department of Medicine III (Cardiology, Pulmonology, Angiology), Medical Faculty of Heidelberg, and at the Department of Medicine I (Cardiology) of the Medical Faculty Mannheim at Heidelberg University. In addition, he is Director of the SYNLAB Academy for Medical Continuing Education and Business Development Manager at SYNLAB Germany.

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Stanislav Oravec

Prof. MD, PhD, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine and University Hospital Slovak Republic

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Yvonne Winhofer

Assoc.Prof.Priv.Doz.Dr. PhD
Fachärztin für Innere Medizin/ Endokrinologie & Stoffwechsel

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Irene Marthe Lang

Univ Prof Dr Irene Lang, Abteilung Kardiologie, Medical University of Vienna

Irene Marthe Lang

Prof. Dr. Irene Marthe Lang is a Senior Consultant in Cardiology at the Medical University of Vienna and Deputy Chair of the Department of Cardiology at the Vienna General Hospital. An expert in vascular biology and pulmonary hypertension, she leads clinical and translational research in cardiovascular medicine. Prof. Lang is a prominent member of the European Society of Cardiology and has authored over 400 peer-reviewed publications. Her work focuses on right heart function, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), and innovative catheter-based therapies.

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Peter Fasching

Prof.Dr.Peter Fasching, MBA, Vienna Health Association, Clinic Ottakring (former Wilhelminenspital), 5th Medical Department with Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Acute Geriatrics

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Christof Fellmann

Executive Director & Head of CRISPR-X, CRISPR Therapeutics

Christof Fellmann

Dr. Christof Fellmann is a molecular biologist and genome engineering expert serving as Executive Director and Head of CRISPR-X at CRISPR Therapeutics. He leads platform innovation and oversees the company’s advanced research division focused on pioneering next-generation gene editing technologies.

Before joining CRISPR Therapeutics, Dr. Fellmann was an investigator at the Gladstone Institutes and an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where his research centered on CRISPR-Cas systems, DNA repair pathways, and cancer signaling networks. His lab developed genome engineering tools to study disease biology and guide therapeutic design, particularly in RAS-driven cancers and glioblastoma.

Dr. Fellmann completed his postdoctoral training with Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna at University of California, Berkeley, studying the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of CRISPR-Cas9. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Life Sciences from the University of Zurich, conducting research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York. Dr. Fellmann also holds an engineering degree from the École Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg (ESBS) and a B.Sc.-equivalent from the University of Basel. He co-founded Mirimus, Inc., a biotech company focused on RNAi-based preclinical models.

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