Dr Dipak Kotecha MBChB PhD(Clinical Cardiology) PCAP MSc(Clinical Trials) MRCP FHEA FESC

Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences
Clinician Scientist in Cardiovascular Medicine & NIHR Fellow

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0) 121 371 8122
Telephone (2): Clinical Secretary +44 (0) 121 371 4399
Email: d.kotecha@bham.ac.uk

Address: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dipak is a Clinician Scientist in Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Birmingham, a Consultant Cardiologist specialising in cardiac imaging, and holds a prestigious National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Career Development Fellowship. In 2018, he was awarded the British Cardiovascular Society Michael Davies Award for his contribution to cardiovascular medicine, in particular relating to atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Dipak has a diverse research portfolio, with expertise in robust statistical evaluation and trial methodology, ‘Big Data’, cardiac imaging, therapeutics, patient involvement and novel technology, such as mobile applications and wearable devices. His work has been published in leading journals such as the Lancet, BMJ and European Heart Journal, and he has received funding from the NIHR, British Heart Foundation and European Union.

Dipak works with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) on the Education and Congress Planning Committees, and helped to write the 2016 ESC Guidelines for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation. He supervises a number of PhD students including basic, translational and clinical science, leads an international heart failure consortium (the Beta-blockers in Heart Failure Collaborative Group), and is Chief Investigator of the first randomised controlled trial of digoxin in patients with atrial fibrillation and symptoms of heart failure (RATE-AF).

Qualifications

Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery, MBChB 2000; University of Bristol

Member, MRCP 2004; Royal College of Physicians

Doctorate, PhD 2010; Imperial College London

Cardiology accreditation, CCT 2014; General Medical Council

Fellow, FESC 2015; European Society of Cardiology

Fellow, FHEA 2015; Higher Education Academy

Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, PCAP 2016 (Distinction); University of Birmingham

Masters in Clinical Trials, MSc 2018 (Distinction); London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London

Biography

Dipak studied Medicine at the University of Bristol and trained as a junior doctor in the south-west of England. After gaining Membership of the Royal College of Physicians in 2004 he departed for Australia to gain further clinical and academic experience. He worked as a Cardiology Registrar in Melbourne for 2 years before starting his PhD studies. Registered at the world-leading National Heart & Lung Institute at Imperial College London, the PhD was an international collaborative project with the Royal Brompton Hospital in London and Monash University in Melbourne. Dipak worked with international leaders in their fields, including Professor Marcus Flather (now in Norwich) and the late Professors Philip Poole-Wilson and Henry Krum.

After completing his PhD, Dipak re-joined the NHS in 2009 and was a clinical trainee in Oxford, specialising in cardiac imaging. During this time he continued his academic work, leading to his appointment as a Clinical Lecturer here in Birmingham, and subsequently appointment as a Clinician Scientist and Consultant Cardiologist at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust and Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust.

Dipak was awarded Fellowship of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) for his work in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease, and Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy for his teaching. In 2016, he commenced his NIHR Career Development Fellowship designed to improve patient wellbeing in those needing rate control for atrial fibrillation. His efforts were recognised in 2018 when he won the British Cardiovascular Society Michael Davies National Award for his early career contribution to cardiovascular medicine.

Dipak is an Honorary Fellow at Monash University in Melbourne (Australia), the University Medical Center in Utrecht (the Netherlands) and the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit in Oxford (UK).

Teaching

MD / PhD students and research fellows in clinical and translational projects

Clinical teaching

International lectures on heart failure, atrial fibrillation, ‘Big Data’ and statistical methods

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Kotecha currently has openings for self-funded PhD students with the following attributes:

Medical doctors with cardiology experience

Skills in cardiac imaging (echocardiography, cardiac MRI)

Experience in IT, statistical analysis or database management

Motivated to produce high-impact clinical studies

Research

Heart rate control in atrial fibrillation (RATE-AF trial Birmingham)

For an up-to-date list of research publications, please refer to this link.

Nine ‘hotline’ late-breaking presentations in major international conferences: 2018 [x2] HFA Congress Vienna; 2018 EHRA Congress Barcelona; 2017 [x2] ESC Congress Barcelona; 2017 HFA Congress Paris; 2015 [x2] ESC Congress London; and 2014 ESC Congress Barcelona.

Other activities

European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guideline Task Force on Atrial Fibrillation 2014-2016, ESC Education Committee 2016-2018 & 2018-2020, ESC Congress Programme Committee 2018-2020, ESC STEEER-AF Cluster Randomised Trial Chief Investigator (2018-2020).

Frequent invitations as faculty for international meetings and conferences, including the European Society of Cardiology Congress, European Heart Rhythm Association, Heart Failure Association, British Cardiovascular Society, Royal College of Physicians of London and Physicians’ Academy for Cardiovascular Education (PACE) Foundation.

Lead chapter author for heart failure and atrial fibrillation; ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine 3rd edition.

Two patients awarded Patient Research Partner Scholarships to present NIHR-funded research at the International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL) conference, Dublin 2018.

Publications

Please see Research Gate for full details.

Top publications in education:

Rossello X, Stanbury M, Beeri R, Kirchhof P, Casadei B, Kotecha D*. Digital learning and the future cardiologist. Eur Heart J. 2019;40:499-501. PMID: 30698713.

Kotecha D*, Lainscak M. Comorbidity (HFrEF and HFpEF) - Atrial fibrillation. In: Camm AJ, ed. ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine 3rd edition. Oxford University Press; 2018: http://oxfordmedicine.com/view/10.1093/med/9780198784906.001.0001/med-9780198784906-chapter-413.

Kotecha D, Bax JJ, Carrera C, Casadei B, Merkely B, Anker SD, Vardas PE, et al. Roadmap for cardiovascular education across the European Society of Cardiology: Inspiring better knowledge and skills, now and for the future. Eur Heart J. 2018; 10.1093/eurheartj/ehy058. PMID: 30226525.

European Society of Cardiology. The future of continuing medical education: the roles of medical professional societies and the health care industry: Position paper prepared with contributions from the European Society of Cardiology Committees for Advocacy, Education and Industry Relations, endorsed by the Board of the European Society of Cardiology. Eur Heart J. 2018; 10.1093/eurheartj/ehy003. PMID: 29506125.

Kotecha D*, Chua W, Fabritz L, Hendriks J, Casadei B, Schotten U, Vardas P, Heidbuchel H, Dean V, Kirchhof P. European Society of Cardiology (ESC) smartphone and tablet applications for patients with atrial fibrillation and their healthcare providers. Europace. 2018;20:225-233. PMID: 29040548.

Top publications in research:

Chua W, Purmah Y, Cardoso VR, Gkoutos G, Tull SP, Neculau G, Thomas MR, Kotecha D, Lip GYH, Kirchhof P, Fabritz L*. Data-driven discovery and validation of circulating blood-based biomarkers associated with prevalent atrial fibrillation. Eur Heart J. 2019; 10.1093/eurheartj/ehy815. PMID: 30615112.

Kotecha D, Breithardt G, Camm AJ, Lip GYHL, Schotten U, Ahlsson A, Arnar D, Atar D, Auricchio A, Bax JJ, et al. Integrating new approaches to atrial fibrillation management: The 6th Joint Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation Network (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). Europace. 2018;20:395-407. PMID: 29300976.

Cleland JGF, Bunting KV, Flather MD, Altman DG, Holmes J, Coats AJS, Manzano L, McMurray JJV, Ruschitzka F, van Veldhuisen DJ, von Lueder TG, Bohm M, Andersson B, Kjekshus J, Packer M , Rigby A, Rosano G, Wedel H, Hjalmarson A, Wikstrand J, Kotecha D*. Beta-blockers for heart failure with reduced, mid-range and preserved ejection fraction: An individual patient-level analysis of double-blind randomised trials. Eur Heart J. 2018;39:26-35. PMID: 29040525.

Kotecha D, Flather MD, Altman DG, Holmes J, Rosano G, Wikstrand J, Packer M, Coats AJS, Manzano L, van Veldhuisen DJ, Andersson B, Wedel H, von Lueder TG, Rigby AS, Hjalmarson A, Kjekshus J, Cleland JGF*. Heart Rate and Rhythm and the Benefit of Beta-Blockers in Patients With Heart Failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2017;69:2885-2896. PMID: 28467883.

Kotecha D, Lam CS, van Veldhuisen DJ, van Gelder IC, Voors AA, Rienstra M*. Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Atrial Fibrillation: Vicious Twins. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2016;68:2217-28. PMID: 27855811.

Kirchhof P*, Benussi S, Kotecha D, Ahlsson A, Atar D, Casadei B, Castella Pericas M, Diener H, Heidbuchel H, Hendriks J, Hindricks G, Manolis AS, Oldgren J, Popescu BA, Schotten U, Van Putte B, Vardas P. 2016 ESC guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS: The Task Force for the management of atrial fibrillation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Developed with the special contribution of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the ESC. Endorsed by the European Stroke Organisation (ESO). Eur Heart J. 2016;37:2893-2962. PMID: 27567408.

Kotecha D*, Manzano L, Packer M, Rosano G, Collins P, Krum H, Holmes J, Altman DG, Wikstrand J, Coats AJS, Cleland JGF, von Lueder TG, Rigby A, Shibata MC, Andersson B, Kirchhof P, Wedel H, Lip GYH, Flather MD. Age and gender differences in treatment efficacy and tolerability: The Beta-blockers in Heart Failure Collaborative Group. BMJ. 2016;353:i1855. PMID: 27098105.

Kotecha D*, Piccini JP. Atrial fibrillation in heart failure. What should we do? Eur Heart J. 2015;46:3250-7. PMID: 26419625.

Ziff OJ, Lane DA, Samra M, Griffith M, Kirchhof P, Lip GY, Steeds RP, Townend J, Kotecha D*. Safety and efficacy of digoxin: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational and controlled trial data. BMJ. 2015;351:h4451. PMID: 26321114.

Kotecha D*, Holmes J, Krum H, Altman DG, Manzano L, Cleland JGF, Lip GYH, Coats AJS, Andersson B, Kirchhof P, von Lueder TG, Wedel H, Rosano G, Shibata MC, Rigby A, Flather MD. Efficacy of beta blockers in patients with heart failure plus atrial fibrillation: an individual-patient data meta-analysis. Lancet. 2014;384:2235-2243. PMID: 25193873.

View all publications in research portal