Cardiometabolic Health Congress 2026

A pioneer in the field of IVUS, will discuss its role as a screening tool and in determining new approaches to treatment.

A landmark researcher in inflammation and atherosclerosis, will focus on the increasing prevalence of non-LDL-cholesterol-related cardiovascular risk factors, specifically, triglycerides and apoC3.

A principal investigator of SPRINT, will discuss the benefits and caveats of SPRINT as well as some of its ongoing substudies.

A preeminent investigator in diabetes and metabolic disease, will explain the role of the gut microbiome as an important mediator of the gene/environment interaction and results of his research in mice.

An internationally renowned cardiac surgeon and scientist, will evaluate the epidemiology and clinical course of visceral fat as it relates to cardiovascular event rates and explain the mechanistic basis of how visceral adiposity leads to cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Francesco Rubino, director of the Diabetes Surgery Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical Center, believes there is much evidence in favor of bariatric surgery as standard care for Type 2 diabetes in severely obese patients. His recent New England Journal of Medicine study suggests that bariatric surgery can reverse Type 2 diabetes in morbidly obese patients.

Specializing in preventive cardiovascular care, including the treatment of hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, Dr. Hazen will discuss his groundbreaking work concerning gut microbes as a factor and therapeutic target in cardiometabolic diseases. Dr. Hazen has received numerous awards including election to membership in honorary societies in science and clinical arenas alike and also serves as reviewer and/or is on the editorial board for many scientific journals, including Circulation and the Journal of Lipid Research.

Dr. Ferdinand is a renowned clinical expert with a career-long history of tackling racial disparities in care through research, clinical work, and advocacy. Among many roles, Dr. Ferdinand serves as a Professor of Medicine at Tulane University and Tulane Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana, is the past Chair of the National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, and has served as Chief Science Officer and past chair of the Association of Black Cardiologists. In 2020, Dr. Ferdinand was appointed by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force Medical Subcommittee.