Our community at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals has been advancing heart and lung care for over 100 years.
Each member of our team, past and present, has carefully nurtured our world-leading reputation through their commitment and invaluable contributions.
Together, we have pushed boundaries of what’s possible in medicine. From developing new minimally invasive heart procedures, to innovative lung treatments that help patients do more of what they love.
In our “Reconnect” series, we are proud to share with you stories that inspire and ideas that innovate.
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Educated at Cambridge University, St Thomas’ Hospital and the London Chest Hospital, Professor Dudley Pennell was a professor of cardiology and a leading specialist in cardiovascular magnetic resonance. He joined Royal Brompton Hospital in 1988 and went on to become director of the CMR Unit and director of Non-Invasive Cardiology.
In 2012, Professor Pennell received the Gold Medal Award from the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and in 2014 he was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Join us as we discuss not only his over 35 years at our hospital, but also his crucial role in research, fundraising and his pioneering work in CMR imaging worldwide.
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20 Aug 2026
Reconnect with Professor Thomas Lüscher
A leading figure in cardiovascular medicine and outgoing President of the European Society of Cardiology, Professor Thomas Lüscher has influenced generations of clinicians and researchers through his leadership, publications and commitment to advancing heart care.
His career has taken him from Zurich to the Mayo Clinic, and later to senior clinical and academic roles in Basel, Berne and Zurich, before joining Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals a decade ago.
Join us as we discuss his work in cardiology, research and education, as well as how he is helping shape the future of cardiovascular care across Europe and beyond.
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14 May 2026
Reconnect with Zohreh Palmer
Zohreh Palmer moved to Britain from Iran in the late 1970s to become a nurse.
Following a successful career in the independent sector and with plans to retrain as a coach, she was presented with an unexpected opportunity to join Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals in 2014, to set up their state‑of‑the‑art diagnostic centre at Wimpole Street.
Drawn by what she describes as “fate”, Zohreh stepped into what would become the most defining chapter of her career. Under her leadership, the facility grew to become a flagship site for our hospitals, serving both private and NHS patients.
As she prepares to retire after more than a decade at our institution, join us as we sit down with her to discuss her journey.
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25 Feb 2026
Reconnect with Robert Craig
Robert Craig spent more than three decades at the heart of specialist heart and lung care, shaping the services at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals with remarkable dedication.
Arriving at Harefield in 1994, he quickly discovered a place unlike any other; one that blended deep expertise, pioneering research, and a distinctive sense of community.
As Chief Operating Officer, he played a central role in defending the hospitals’ congenital heart services, advocating publicly for the importance of maintaining one of the nation’s largest and most successful centres of expertise.
Join us as we discuss his journey with us, spanning two mergers, countless clinical innovations, and enduring friendships with extraordinary colleagues
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14 Jan 2026
Reconnect with Lawrence Tallon
Lawrence Tallon began his career working in Whitehall, as a Fast Stream civil servant at the Department of Health and Social Care.
Following a range of government and leadership roles in hospitals in the UK and the Middle East, in 2020, he joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ (GSTT) as Deputy Chief Executive. A role he held for 5 years, in which he successfully led the merger of GSTT and the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals.
In April 2025, he became the chief executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Join us as we discuss not only his career, but also how his devotion to Tottenham Hotspur led to the creation of “NHS Spurs”; a community committed to public health, mental well-being, and mutual support.
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6 Nov 2025
Reconnect with Professor Richard Underwood
Educated at Oxford University, Professor Richard Underwood has dedicated his career to advancing the field of cardiac imaging and improving outcomes for patients with heart disease. His research and teaching have influenced generations of clinicians, combining scientific innovation with a deep commitment to patient care. His work has helped bridge the gap between imaging science and everyday clinical practice, shaping how we understand and manage heart disease today.
Join us as we discuss not only his over 40 years at our hospitals, but also his crucial role in developing and applying nuclear and cardiac imaging techniques that have transformed diagnosis and treatment in cardiology.
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30 Sept 2025
Reconnect with Dr Fernando Riesgo Gil
Dr Fernando Riesgo Gil has been a consultant cardiologist at Harefield Hospital for a decade. He is also the clinical lead for heart transplantation.
Dr Riesgo Gil graduated from the School of Medicine at the Autonoma University in Madrid, Spain. He completed his specialty training in cardiology at the Hospital Universitario de la Princesa in Madrid. In 2013, Dr Riesgo Gil spent two years at the Mazankowski Heart Institute of the University of Alberta in Canada. He then joined the Royal Brompton to do a fellowship in adult congenital heart disease. At Harefield, he specialises in heart failure, heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support.
Join us as we discuss his over 10 years at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals.
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2 Sept 2025
Reconnect with Alison Pottle
Alison Pottle became one of the first cardiology nurse consultants in the UK at Harefield Hospital in June 2000. In this position, she has played a pivotal role in developing and leading innovative nurse-led services, particularly in cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention. She has been a passionate advocate for patient-centred care and multidisciplinary collaboration, helping to improve recovery and long-term outcomes for her patients.
Join us as we discuss not only her over 40 years at Harefield Hospital, but also her views on how the nursing profession has evolved.
Her work has earned her recognition within the healthcare community, including the Silver Award in the Cardiovascular Nurse of the Year category at the British Journal of Nursing Awards in 2023.
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13 Jun 2025
Reconnect with Professor Magdi Yacoub
Professor Magdi Yacoub recounts his sixty-year career as a cardiothoracic surgeon, highlighting his groundbreaking procedures and contributions to cardiac surgery advances worldwide in this interview.
8 Apr 2025
Reconnect with Professor Anita Simonds
Professor Anita Simonds joined the Royal Brompton Hospital in the 1980s as an SHO, and has been associated with it to this date.
She has been instrumental in developing respiratory and sleep medicine at the Royal Brompton, and in turn influencing the care delivered to patients all over the world.
Join us as we discuss not only her time at our hospital, but also her crucial role in informing the UK’s clinical response to the COVID-19 pandemic, during her tenure as President of the European Respiratory Society.
Professor Simonds has received the Margaret Pfrommer Medal from the American College of Chest Physicians for her contributions to long-term mechanical ventilation, and the British Thoracic Society Medal for her contributions to respiratory medicine.
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4 Feb 2025
Reconnect with Professor John Pepper
Educated at Cambridge University and Guy’s Hospital, Professor John Pepper was a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the London Chest Hospital and St George’s Hospital before moving to the Brompton in 1991. His Brompton career as a consultant cardiac surgeon spanned over 30 years
Join us as we discuss not only his time at our hospital, but also his crucial role in research and cardiac surgery advances worldwide.
In June 2015, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to heart and lung surgery, in Her Majesty the Queen's birthday honours.
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24 Sept 2024
Reconnect with Professor Sir Malcolm Green
Professor Malcolm Green has been associated with the Royal Brompton Hospital in different capacities for over 55 years. From becoming a respiratory SHO, and being appointed a consultant respiratory physician, to serving as a Non-Executive Director.
Join us as we discuss not only his time at our hospital, but also his role setting up the British Lung Foundation, his time as Dean of the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI), and his secondments at the Department of Health and Imperial College among others.
Professor Green is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science and was knighted in 2007 for his contributions to medicine.
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