Silvia G. Priori, MD, PhD

A native of Torino, Italy, Silvia Priori was encouraged in her interest in science by her chemist father. She received her medical training at the University of Milan and Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Later, she earned her PhD in Cardiac Pathophysiology from the University of Milan.

Dr. Priori is one of the leading scientists in the field of long-QT syndrome. Throughout her career, she has combined clinical practice, clinical research, and basic science research. As a clinical cardiologist, she specializes in the field of inherited arrhythmia syndromes, while her research focuses on the genetic component of cardiac defects. She is a sought-after mentor to young scientists and clinicians, and has a special interest in mentoring women entering the field.

She is Professor of Cardiology in the Department of Molecular Medicine of the University of Pavia and the Scientific Director of the ICS Maugeri network of 15 hospitals, where she manages a research institute with over 300 investigators. She leads a team of clinicians devoted to the management of patients with inherited arrhythmias, and a team of basic scientists who investigate mechanisms of genetic arrhythmias and develop new therapies. She is also a Professor and Director of Molecular Cardiology Laboratories at the Carlos III National Cardiovascular Research Institute in Madrid.

Dr. Priori is a champion of scientific societies that advance cardiology and electrophysiology, and provide leadership opportunities to professionals in the field. She has served on the Board of the HRS, and is an active member of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) where she has served as Chair of the Guidelines Committee and the Women at Heart Initiative. She is a past president of the European Heart Rhythm Association. In 2014, she received HRS’s Distinguished Scientist Award.