IAS Inflammation Academy

Overview

The International Atherosclerosis Society Inflammation Academy aims to identify and develop promising early career researchers and physicians who have the capacity to become the next generation of key opinion leaders on the topic of inflammation in cardiometabolic disease.

The vision for the Inflammation Academy and how the program aims to equip leaders of the future with essential skills and build on advances in inflammation research was captured by Judith Ozkan in a piece published in the European Heart Journal.

Meet the Fellows

From a competitive global application process, IAS selected 30 attendees from 25 countries to participate in the inaugural cohort. IAS is pleased to introduce these early career researchers and physicians.

Meet the Faculty

IAS’ Immediate Past President Peter Libby, MD, will serve as the course director, and will be supported by the following international faculty:

• Cristina Izar, MD, PhD
• Wolfgang Koenig, MD
• Samia Mora, MD, MHS
• Jessica Peña, MD, MPH

In-Person Session

The first program activity was an in-person session, providing intensive face-to-face instruction to fellows and setting the stage for the year ahead. The in-person session took place on August 28, 2025 from 1pm – 7:30pm in Madrid, Spain.

Faculty and attendees came together for six hours, allowing time for introductions, instruction and discussion; and concluded with a networking reception.

Webinar Series

Starting in January 2026, IAS will host a series of interactive webinars open to the society’s global membership that focus on current issues or controversies related to inflammation to keep attendees engaged and abreast of the latest research findings and recommendations for optimal management of patients.

Fellows will work with course faculty to develop webinar content, providing them with an opportunity to contribute and develop leadership skills on the topic, foster the growth of mentor-mentee relationships, and present to IAS’ global audience.

Mark your calendar for the second webinar on February 23 and look for more information to be posted soon about the webinars in April and June.

Thought Leadership

In October, fellows received training on how to author thought leadership content and have started to pen their own long-form blog posts, which are being released via the IAS LinkedIn account from January – July 2026. All fellows’ blogs are also posted below.

• hsCRP – A Single Test Goes a Long Way by Brett Mansfield & Federica Fogacci
• IL-6 and Its Role in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease by Aernoud T.L. Fiolet & Berkan Kurt
• Imaging Inflammation in Atherosclerosis – Making the Invisible, Visible by Nicola Gianotti & Rocco Vergallo

The IAS Inflammation Academy is supported with an unrestricted grant from Novo Nordisk. All program content remains fully under control of IAS.