Tine De Backer qualified as MD and specialized as Cardiologist-Angiologist and obtained her PhD at the Ghent University – Ghent University Hospital (UZ Ghent). She worked for some years abroad at the Thoraxcenter Rotterdam and at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation New York. In 2006 she rejoined her Alma Mater. She is head of clinic at the Department of Cardiology at the University Hospital Ghent. Besides general cardiology she has special interests in vascular diseases, resistant hypertension and ultrasound imaging. She is also active at the Heymans Institute of Pharmacology and is a certified clinical pharmacologist. She is Professor at the University of Ghent. She is president of the Belgian Hypertension Committee. Contact details: Prof. Dr. T. De Backer, MD, PhD University Hospital Ghent De Pintelaan 185 9000 Ghent tine.debacker@ugent.be Tel: 32 9 332 34 59 or 34 71 Fax: 32 9 332 34 62