Padua’s Vice-Rector delivers honorary “William Harvey Lecture on Basic Science” at the European Society of Cardiology Congress

The Vice-Rector for International Relations at the University of Padua, Professor Cristina Basso, was invited to deliver the prestigious “ESC William Harvey Lecture on Basic Science,” at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2024 held in London, UK, from 30 August to 2 September.

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is the largest society in the world dedicated to cardiovascular diseases. Every year, it recognises leading scientists who have made significant contributions to the field over the course of their careers. These esteemed individuals are invited to give lectures during the society’s annual congress. The ESC has named its Basic Science award after the English physician William Harvey, an alumnus of the University of Padua and discoverer of blood circulation, acknowledging him as a foundational figure in the development of modern physiology.

Much like William Harvey, Professor Basso was selected by the ESC for her pioneering research on the morphological features observed during autopsies, significantly advancing the understanding of cardiac pathologies, particularly Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD), a focal point of her work. In her lecture, titled “Sudden cardiac death and autopsy in the era of molecular medicine”, Professor Basso paid tribute to William Harvey, noting how his ground breaking work, like hers, stemmed from the careful study of autopsies.

Q: What does it mean to you personally and professionally to deliver the prestigious “William Harvey Lecture on Basic Science” at the ESC Congress?

Prof. Basso: To deliver the William Harvey Prize on Basic Science is a prestigious recognition, usually tributed basic scientists who have made important contributions in the advancement of knowledge in the field of cardiovascular diseases. For the first time, this year the ESC committee made the choice of a pathologist, who is not a basic scientist strictly speaking. The reason was to recognize the crucial role that my group played in discovering new disease entities causing sudden death in the young and in supporting the experimental models to understand the disease pathogenesis. In other words, this is not only a personal recognition but also a recognition to our discipline, pathological anatomy which was established in Padua.

Q: In your lecture you mentioned William Harvey, a British scientist who discovered blood circulation while studying in Padua. His discovery not only revolutionised medicine but also brought visibility and recognition to both the University of Padua and Britain, where he practised. As Vice-Rector for internationalisation and member of the Executive Council of Arqus, how do you see international mobility and collaboration benefiting students, researchers, and the broader community?

Prof. Basso: internationalization is the pre-requisite for advancement of sciences and research. This is particularly true in my field when dealing with “rare” diseases, since there is a need to gather the experience of multiple centers and researchers all around the world. Many step forwards were done thanks to the mobility of PhD students who spent periods abroad or came to spend a period at our University. I am particularly proud of the title of the Lecture/prize since William Harvey was an international student who graduated exactly at the University of Padua, the place where he learned about the vein valves, leading to discover how the blood is moving around in a closed circuit.

Q: In your experience as both a researcher and Vice-Rector for Internationalisation, what role does global academic collaboration, fostered by the Arqus Alliance, play in pushing the boundaries of medical research and education?

Prof. Basso: academic collaboration is fundamental in research and education. The Arqus Alliance aims to act jointly as a laboratory for institutional learning from which to move forward in the design, testing and implementation of an innovative model for deep inter-university cooperation. The aim is to achieve a truly integrated European inter-university campus for the benefits of both the students and the researchers.

Q: Given your leadership role in fostering international partnerships, how can initiatives like those promoted by the Arqus Alliance help foster interdisciplinary and international approaches to addressing global health challenges?

Prof. Basso: the student and PhD mobility, by utilizing also summer and winter school with Professor/researchers exchange is a fundamental tool to foster international collaboration in research in all fields. A proper understanding of health challenges requires mobility across Europe to be able to find solution at global level. The merge of different expertise, from basic science to clinical medicine and artificial intelligence, in different geographic areas across Europe will help to address the challenges of global health.

Short Bio

Cristina Basso is a Full Professor of Pathology at the University of Padua, Italy. As a cardiologist and anatomic pathologist, with a PhD in Cardiological Sciences, she has focused her work on anatomo-clinical correlations in the cardiovascular field, employing a translational approach to advance clinical applications. She is also the Director of the Cardiovascular Pathology Unit of the Padua University Hospital within the National Health System.

Her research areas include sudden cardiac death, cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia pathology, heart tumors, and valve diseases.

Professor Basso is a member of several national and international research networks and coordinates the North-East Italy Veneto Region Network for Cardiovascular Pathology. She has chaired the ESC Working Group on Developmental Anatomy and Pathology and is a member of multiple ESC working groups and the ESC Basic Science Council. Additionally, she serves as the President of the Association for European Cardiovascular Pathology (AECVP) and is a member of the Executive Council of the Arqus Alliance, where she plays a pivotal role in promoting international collaboration in higher education and research.