Professor Richard Steeds MA MD FRCP FESC

• MA Law (University of Cambridge) 1985
• MBBS (University of London) 1991
• MD in Cardiovascular Sciences 2001
• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London) 2008
• Fellow of the British Society of Echocardiography
• Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology 2009

Richard Steeds is Honorary Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Consultant in Cardiovascular Imaging at University Hospitals Birmingham specialising in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of valvular heart disease and in the management of cardiomyopathy, including rare and metabolic diseases. He is Clinical Lead for Cardiovascular Imaging, incorporating multimodality approaches using echocardiography, magnetic resonance and nuclear imaging.

His practice incorporates out-patient and in-patient management, using advanced echocardiography, cardio-pulmonary exercise stress testing and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in the management of single and complex valve diseases

From 2014 to 2017, he was past President of the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE), having previously been responsible for education with the Society at national level for more than 10 years and involved in the development of the BSE App. He was chairman of the BSE Education Committee from 2008 to 2014. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed research articles, and with funding from the BHF and commercial sources, he is currently using multiparametric CMR and echocardiography to investigate the role of myocardial infiltration in valvular heart disease and in cardiomyopathy related to rare diseases.

• MBChB
• BMedSci
• Clinical and Educational Supervisor Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging trainees

Professor Steeds makes substantial contributions to teaching both within the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham and beyond. He was previously Chair of the Education Committee of the British Society of Echocardiography, developed a regional network of representatives delivering educational presentations in echocardiography across the United Kingdom and in the Republic of Ireland, as well as initiating national accreditation processes in stress echocardiography.

He is a lead for the Independent Assessment of Professional Skills within the National School of Healthcare Science, which is the final examination for HSST trainees, prior to becoming a Consultant Clinical Scientist.

Available for supervision

Subject areas

• Diagnosis, progression and management of carcinoid heart disease
• Screening and community detection and monitoring of valvular heart disease
• Development of metabolic cardiomyopathies, including Fabry and Alstrom

Professor Steeds has been the primary or co-supervisor for 8 PhD students, who have all gone on to become either consultant cardiologists within the field of cardiovascular imaging and/or have developed independent research programmes within the University. He currently is supervising 3 PhD students, two of whom are researching arrhythmogenesis in Fabry cardiomyopathy and one who is examining the role of exercise and outcomes in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Research Activity

Professor Steeds has a research programme focussed around the early detection, measurement of severity and optimal management of valvular heart disease. His current research includes investigation into the role of an ‘intelligent stethoscope’ in early detection, comparative studies of the accuracy of echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in the quantification of regurgitant valve lesions, and collaboration in a number of BHF-funded national and international studies investigating early intervention in asymptomatic disease.

Additional research is directed at the risk factors and development of arrhythmia in rare metabolic cardiomyopathies, using detection with implantable loop recorders and imaging to risk stratify individuals. A collaborative bench programme is starting to investigate automaticity in myocytes of patients affected by Fabry disease, and further projects in the development of restrictive cardiomyopathy in the ultra-rare Alstrom syndrome.

Professor Steeds is a group leader of the Birmingham Cardio –Renal Group with Professor Jonathan Townend and Professor Charles Ferro, whose broad theme of work is to characterise the structural and functional deterioration within the heart and arterial tree affecting patients with chronic kidney disease.

Research Groups and Centres

Birmingham Cardio –Renal Group 

Consultant in Cardiovascular Imaging at University Hospitals Birmingham since 2003, specialising in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of valvular heart disease and in the management of cardiomyopathy, including rare and metabolic diseases. He is Clinical Lead for Cardiovascular Imaging, incorporating multimodality approaches using echocardiography, magnetic resonance and nuclear imaging.

• Council of the British Society of Echocardiography (2001-2009)
• Chair of the Education Committee of the British Society of Echocardiography (2008-2014)
• Executive, Board and Council of the British Cardiovascular Society (2014-2017)
• President of the British Society of Echocardiography (11.2014-11.2017)
• European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging
  • Departmental Accreditation Committee
  • Examination board for transoesophageal echocardiograph
• European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society: Carcinoid Heart Disease group (2021)
• Member of the British Heart Foundation Clinical Research Collaborative (2020)
• Board of Heart Valve Voice (2021)