Professor Bela Merkely

Professor Béla Merkely is a Hungarian interventional and sport cardiologist, HF and EP specialist. He is the director of Semmelweis University’s Heart and Vascular Centre since 2007 and the current rector of Semmelweis University since 1 July 2018. Between 2010 and 2013 he was President of the Hungarian Society of Cardiology, since 2018 he is Honorary President of the Hungarian Society of Cardiology. He is also Honorary President of the Hungarian Heart Rhythm Association. Between 2014 and 2016 he was Councillor, between 2016 and 2018 he was Vice-President of the European Society of Cardiology. He played an important role in the organisation of the countrywide STEMI network in Hungary, due to which the rate of thrombolytic therapy for STEMI patients has decreased to <1%. As the director of Semmelweis University’s Heart and Vascular Centre, he is the leader of one of the largest heart transplant programs in Europe. He is the author of more than 500 peer-reviewed papers.