Ms Bianca Coelho | Macquarie University Hospital Bianca is the Chief Cardiac Physiologist at MQHealth Cardiology at Macquarie University. Her areas of expertise include imaging in structural heart disease, cardiac oncology and athlete screening. Education and training have always been an area of interest for her. She manages the echocardiography training program for sonographers and advanced cardiology trainees at MQhealth . In addition to her role at Macquarie University, she is the chair of the Professional standards committee at PICSA (Professionals in Cardiac Sciences Australia) and is a guest lecturer within the Clinical Sciences department at Macquarie Medical School, NSW.

The cardiac program at this year's conference brings together leading clinicians and sonographers for three dynamic live panel discussions designed to spark insight, collaboration and practical learning. Each session highlights a key area shaping the future of cardiac care, offering attendees the opportunity to hear from experts, ask questions and contribute to the conversation. Across the three panels, participants will explore the evolving imaging challenges in adult congenital heart disease, examine the essential role of clinical supervision and mentorship in cardiac sonography and gain a deeper understanding of how sonographers and cardiologists can bridge perspectives to enhance patient outcomes. These discussions are crafted to be interactive, informative and grounded in real-world clinical experience. Join us for these live sessions and take part in shaping the dialogue around some of the most important issues in contemporary cardiac practice. Further details on each panel can be found in the individual session descriptions.

Mr Tony Forshaw AFASA | EchoGuru Tony Forshaw is an echo educator and clinical cardiac sonographer. He has a masters degree in Cardiac Ultrasound and continues to have a strong ongoing interest in research. Tony passionately enjoys the art of performing echocardiography and is obsessed with improving quality. He has been a sonographer for over 20 years, an educator at QUT, a vocal campaigner for improving standards of sonographer training and an enthusiastic speaker at conferences on a variety of echo topics. Tony is the director of Echo Guru, providing online echo education to a global audience.

Assoc Prof Rebecca Perry FASA | Adelaide University Associate Professor Rebecca Perryis the Program Director for Medical Sonography at Adelaide University and has an honorary position as a post-doctoral researcher in echocardiography at Flinders Medical Centre. She has been a cardiac sonographer since 1998 and has been involved in research and advanced echocardiographic techniques since 2003. She has extensive experience in advanced echocardiographic techniques such as strain and 3-D echocardiography. In 2023 she won the prestigious Australasian Sonographers Association, Pru Pratten Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award which recognises and honours a sonographer who has made a significant contribution to the profession, and the ASA, over the course of their career. She completed her PhD in 2013 and her Post-Doctoral Fellowship with the Heart Foundation through Flinders University in 2018. She is passionate about education and excellence in echocardiography and advanced imaging techniques.

Ms Cathy West | Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital Cathy is a cardiac sonographer accredited in adult and congenital echocardiography with international experience in the clinical, education and management aspects of the field. She has served on Boards of Directors for professional societies in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States and is passionate about delivering high quality echo services.

Mr Christopher Thomas | Qld Echocardiography Mr Christopher Thomas graduated from The University of Queensland in 1997 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Movement Studies. A Master of Scientific Studies was completed specialising in cardiac physiology and rehabilitation. Mr Thomas made an 18-year contribution to the The Prince Charles Hospital’s Echocardiography Department, where he was considered an educational resource for the hospital’s staff and has vast experience in emergency and critical care scenarios. Mr Thomas has trained many specialist echocardiologists working in Australia and abroad. Chris manages and is the senior cardiac sonographer at Queensland Echocardiography, a stand-alone and fully accredited echocardiography imaging service, the first of its kind in Queensland. Chris pioneered locum cardiac sonography services in Queensland from 2002, and currently is still in wide demand over 2 states to provide expert level echocardiography services to a discerning cardiology customer base. In addition to presenting his original research at the World Congress of Cardiology in 2002, Mr Thomas has been involved in countless research initiatives as new technologies arrived on to the market, such as ASD/VSD closure devices, ventricular assist devices and trans-catheter heart valve replacements/interventions.