Speakers & Instructors
Dr. Tara Sedlak – Keynote Speaker
Keynote Address: Microvascular angina, stable angina and the role for novel anti-anginal therapies
Dr. Tara Sedlak grew up in Kelowna, British Columbia, receiving her Bachelor’s degree with Honours from the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta) and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, British Columbia).
Dr. Tara Sedlak was awarded the Gold Medal for top graduate from the Doctor of Medicine Program. She completed two specialist residencies (Internal Medicine and Cardiology) at the University of British Columbia, where she twice served as Chief Medical Resident. Dr. Tara Sedlak also completed a fellowship at Cedar Sinai Medical Centre (Los Angeles, California) with Dr. Bairey Merz, the world’s leading expert in women’s heart health. Dr. Tara Sedlak is the only Canadian physician to have completed this program.
Dr. Tara Sedlak practices General Cardiology for men and women. She is also the only certified Women’s Heart Health Cardiologist in Canada.
Dr. Liam Brunham – Keynote Speaker
Keynote Address: Genetics of Hyperlipidemia
Workshop: Risk Assessment
Dr. Liam Brunham is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia and a Canada Research Chair in Precision Cardiovascular Disease Prevention. He is a Principal Investigator at the UBC Centre for Heart and Lung Innovation where he leads a research team focused on cardiovascular genetics. He is the Medical Lead at the Health Heart Program Prevention clinic at St. Paul’s hospital, one of the largest specialty lipid clinics in Canada. He is also the Associate Director of the UBC MD/PhD program. In 2017 he was named as one of Canada Top 40 under 40.
Dr. Brunham’s research focuses on understanding how genetic variation contributes to abnormalities in lipid levels and risk for cardiovascular disease as well as response to medications. They use tools in human genetics, stem cells, animal models and clinical research to study how genetics can reveal biological insights about susceptibility to cardiometabolic diseases and optimize patient care.
Dr. Marc Benoit
Dr. Marc Benoit graduated from the University of Alberta medical school in 2010. He completed residency in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Alberta. After residency, he completed subspecialty training in advanced echocardiography at the University Of Alberta. He then completed a fellowships in heart rhythm devices at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and heart failure at St. Paul’s hospital in Vancouver. Dr. Benoit has recently completed a master’s degree in Health Economics, Outcomes & Management from the London School of Economics, London UK. Dr. Benoit’s main clinical interests are heart failure and heart rhythm devices. His academic interests are in processes of care and quality improvement.
Dr. Neil Brass
Dr. Brass is an Associate Clinical Professor at the CK Hui Heart Centre of the Royal Alexandra Hospital. He is the current Co – director of the Regional STEMI Vital Heart Program and Chief of Cardiology at the CK Hui Heart Centre.
He completed medical school at the University of Toronto in 1987 and subsequently went on to receive his Fellowship in Internal Medicine from the University of Western Ontario in London Ontario obtaining his FRCP designation in 1991. Cardiology training was undertaken in Edmonton at the University of Alberta receiving his specialty designation from the Royal College of Medicine. Further specialization in Interventional Cardiology was undertaken with training in Edmonton and Vancouver at the University of British Columbia leading ultimately to recognition as a Fellow in the Society of Angiography and Intervention (FSCAI).
He began working on staff in Interventional and General cardiology at the Royal Alexandra hospital in 1993. He has been the President of the Section of Cardiology for the Alberta Medical Association and sat on numerous local, regional and provincial committees. He is involved in student and resident teaching. Research interests include interventional management of Myocardial Infarction and development of systems of care for rapid triaging and treatment of acute MI, management of other acute coronary syndromes and chronic total coronary occlusions. He is the only interventional cardiologist in Alberta carrying out percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty.
Currently he is the President of Edmonton Cardiology Consultants
Dr. Brad Brochu
Dr. Bradley Brochu is a clinical and interventional cardiologist at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and CK Hui Heart Centre. He was born and raised in Edmonton. He attended the University of Alberta for his undergraduate studies, earning a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy with the Alberta College of Pharmacists’ Gold Medal (2010) and his Doctor of Medicine (2014). He remained at the University of Alberta for specialty training in internal medicine (2014-2017) and adult cardiology (2017-2020) earning certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in both specialties. He then completed an Area of Focused Competence (Diploma) fellowship in interventional cardiology at McMaster University (2020-2022). In the second year of his fellowship, Dr. Brochu focused on high-risk and chronic total occlusion (CTO) interventions. His clinical interests include managing acute coronary syndromes, complex PCI, CTO PCI and intravascular imaging.
Dr. Brochu also has a passion for medical education. He is in the process of completing a Masters in Medical Education from the University of Dundee in Scotland. His educational interests include teaching medical procedures, clinical reasoning and the maintenance of psychological safety in learners.
Dr. Michael Chan
Dr. Michael Chan is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and Staff Cardiologist at the CK Hui Heart Centre, Royal Alexandra Hospital, and Director of the Heart Function Stabilization Program. He has fellowship training in general cardiology, cardiac catheterization, echocardiography, cardiac CT, heart failure, and heart transplantation. Dr. Chan trained for several years at Stanford University Hospital, just before joining Royal Alexandra Hospital. Dr. Chan also participates in the University of Alberta heart transplant and VAD program. His research interests are in heart failure and cardiac arrest. He lives with his wife and child.
Dr. Po Kee Cheung
Dr. Po Kee Cheung is an interventional cardiologist at the CK Hui Heart Centre. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada, Royal College of Physician (UK) and the American College of Cardiology. His research interests are alcohol Septal Ablation in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, usage of bioresorbable vascular scaffold in PCI. He is also the Director of the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program at the Heart Centre.
Dr. Debraj Das
Dr. Debraj Das is the newest addition to the interventional and clinical cardiology group at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and CK Hui Heart Centre. He was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and he attended the University of Alberta, where he received an honorary Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree (2011) and his Doctor of Medicine (2013). He remained at the University of Alberta for his core Internal Medicine and Adult Cardiology residency training (2013-2019). Dr. Das also took on full-time graduate studies during his residency and successfully defended his Master of Science in Translational Medicine (2019). He completed his Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada certifications in Internal Medicine (2017) and Adult Cardiology (2019) and was accepted into the American College of Cardiology in 2020.
Dr. Das left Edmonton in 2019 to pursue his true passion, interventional cardiology, at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, British Columbia. During this two-year clinical fellowship, Dr. Das completed thousands of complex cases and specialized in all aspects of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). His main clinical interests include managing stable coronary disease, acute coronary syndromes, left main and bifurcation PCI, coronary physiology, and intravascular imaging.
Outside the demands of his clinical work, Dr. Das has continued to place priority on advancing medical research as well as volunteer work. This ongoing dedication has resulted in more than 40 academic and community service awards at local, provincial, and national levels. He has published numerous academic papers and has presented at several international conferences. Dr. Das was the recipient of Edify Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 award in 2019. As a true Edmontonian, he has his vision set on bolstering the profile of our city through continued clinical research and providing his patients the absolute best care available.
Dr. Micha Dorsch
Dr. Dorsch completed his undergraduate medical training at the Universities of Cologne and Heidelberg (Germany). He worked at the Sports Medicine Institute, at the University of Heidelberg before moving to England.
He finished his training in Internal Medicine in Sunderland and Brighton. He then moved to the University of Leeds, where he was awarded a PhD in molecular genetics. Subsequently Dr Dorsch trained in General Cardiology at the Leeds General Infirmary. Following this he became the first interventional fellow at the Yorkshire Heart Centre in Leeds before completing his Interventional Cardiology training at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton.
Since 2006 he has worked as a cardiologist at Edmonton Cardiology Consultants and at the CK Hui Heart Centre. His interests include general and interventional cardiology.
More recently he developed the first renal denervation programme (novel technology for the invasive management of resistant hypertension) in Western Canada.
Dr. Tyler Lamb
Dr. Lamb was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He attended the University of Saskatchewan where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology & Immunology in 2006, and his Doctor of Medicine degree in 2010. He remained at the University of Saskatchewan to complete his Internal Medicine and Cardiology residency training programs, then relocated to Edmonton in 2016 for further clinical fellowship training in Echocardiography. Following his clinical fellowship, Dr. Lamb was granted his ‘Diplomate of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’ designation in Adult Echocardiography. Dr. Lamb then completed an echocardiography research fellowship under Dr. Harald Becher, and concurrently completed a Master of Science degree in Translational Medicine. His area of study was ‘Fusion 3D Echocardiography’.
Dr. Lamb joined Edmonton Cardiology Consultants in 2018. He has special interests in 3D, stress and contrast echocardiography. He is also interested in cardiovascular intensive care and medical education.
Dr. Keysun Ranjbar
Dr. Keysun A Ranjbar is staff cardiologist at CK Hui Heart Centre and Sturgeon Hospital. He is Assistant Clinical Professor, at Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine at University of Alberta. He has fellowships in Interventional Cardiology and also Heart Failure from U of A, and holding American Board of Echocardiography and Level 2 Certification for Cardiac CT from Huston, TX. In clinical practice, Dr. Ranjbar has special interests in managing patients with HOCM, and Syncope.
Dr. Ranjbar is peer reviewer in Interventional Cardiology journals. He has had number of Publications and abstract presentations in Canadian and International cardiology papers and conferences.
He is actively involved in clinical research, and innovations in cardiovascular medicine. He was involved in the only and first Renal Denervation program in Western Canada, in CK Hui Heart Centre.
Dr Ranjbar is currently involved in starting the first Advanced Angina Clinic and EECP therapy in Edmonton at CK Hui Heart Centre.
Dr Ranjbar completed a Master of Science in ”Health Economics, Outcomes and Management in Cardiovascular Sciences” with Merit at London School of Economy (LSE) in 2019.
In 2019, Dr Ranjbar was awarded by Department of Medicine as “Teacher of the Year” in cardiology subspecialty.
As an innovator, Dr. Ranjbar is currently holding a patent on Percutaneous Mitral Valve Replacement Solution.
Dr. Sudheer Sharma
Dr. Sudheer Sharma is a clinical Cardiologist with clinical interests in 3D echocardiography, cardiac CT, and clinical cardiology. Dr. Sharma has a particular interest in the early detection & treatment of coronary atherosclerosis with the hopes of improving long term outcome. He has an active interest in valvular heart disease.
Dr. Sharma was raised in Edmonton. He completed Medical school at the University of Alberta in 1996. He then went on to Dalhousie University where he completed Internal Medicine residency and Cardiology Fellowship in 2002. He returned to the University of Alberta to complete a Level III Echocardiography Fellowship in 2003. Dr. Sharma pursued advanced training in cardiovascular computed tomography in California. He has also attained level III credentials in Cardiac CT.
Dr. Sharma practiced at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver, BC (2003-2008). He was an attending staff Cardiologist performing catheter based diagnostic angiography, transthoracic & transesophageal echocardiography. He served as the Medical Director of the ECG / Holter / Stress Testing Department and Director of the Cardiology Echocardiography Lab.
In 2008, Dr. Sharma returned to Edmonton where he continues as a staff Cardiologist at the CK Hui Heart Centre, Royal Alexandra Hospital Campus. He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta. Dr. Sharma is actively involved in medical education of medical students, Residents, and Cardiology Fellows. He is an attending physician in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and Cardiology ward service. Dr. Sharma interprets transthoracic & transesophageal echocardiography at the CK Hui Heart Centre. He interprets exercise stress tests, holter, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring & supervises myocardial perfusion studies.
Dr. Sharma serves as the Echocardiography Lab Director at Edmonton Cardiology Consultants & Pulse Air Heart & Lung Centre.
Dr. Sanam Verma
Dr. Sanam Verma is a born and raised Edmontonian. He attended the University of Alberta where he received a Bachelor of Science with Distinction (2010) and his Doctor of Medicine with Special Training in Research (2014). After graduating medical school, he underwent residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Alberta. He then underwent further Royal College specialization training in Cardiology which was completed at the University of Alberta. Dr. Verma then advanced with additional Royal College specialization training in Critical Care Medicine. He also completed further training in transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography at the CK Hui Heart Centre.
Dr. Verma works as a dual specialist as both a Cardiologist and Intensivist at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. He has a particular interest in Cardiac Critical Care and treatment of the most critically ill patients. His research area includes Cardiogenic Shock and has published multiple articles in literature. He also has a clinical interest in comprehensive echocardiography, point of care ultrasound and echocardiography in the Intensive Care Units, and early detection and intervention of cardiogenic shock patients. He is a member of clinical faculty at the University of Alberta and has a passion for medical education and teaching both Cardiology and Critical Care trainees.
Dr. Nazneem Wahab
Dr. Wahab joined Edmonton Cardiology Consultants in 2004. Her professional assignments and interests include Adult Clinical Cardiology, academic training activities, and international work. She has clinical specialties in Adult Echocardiography and Obstetrical Cardiology.
Dr. Wahab received her Medical degree from the University of Saskatchewan, completed her Internal Medicine and Cardiology fellowships at Dalhousie University in Halifax, and Echocardiography fellowship at the University of Alberta. Dr. Wahab completed her Masters degree in Global Health, in Non-Communicable Diseases at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Dr. Wahab is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Alberta and a member of the University of Alberta Adult Cardiology training committee. She is an educator for Adult Cardiology and Echocardiography fellows, medical and surgical residents, medical students, and practicing physicians.
Dr. Wahab is involved in academic, community, professional, and technical collaborations focused on providing superior health education and health care at both local and international levels. Her present international effort is focused on developing sustainable cardiac health services in low income institutions within the public health sector.