Francisco Leyva-Leon

Francisco Leyva-Leon is a Professor of Clinical Cardiology at Aston Medical School, Aston University, and Clinical Director of the Aston Medical Research Institute. He is also a Consultant Cardiologist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. His clinical expertise spans cardiac device therapy, heart failure, cardiomyopathies, and cardiovascular MRI. He has held leadership roles including past President of the British Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (BSCMR) and Advocacy Chair of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA).

Education:

• MBBS, University of Manchester
• BSc, University of Manchester
• MD, University of Manchester
• FRCP (Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians)

Research Interests: Cardiac device therapy (pacemakers, defibrillators), cardiomyopathies, heart failure, cardiovascular photonics, and clinical outcomes research. His work bridges academic and clinical settings at Aston Medical School and Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Professional Contributions:

• Member of multiple national/international guideline committees (NICE, EHRA)
• Grant reviewer for the British Heart Foundation
• Co-founder of the British Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

Advising & Grants: Supervised 8 MD fellows since 2000 and currently oversees 2 MD/PhD students. Active in health economics and policy advocacy through EHRA committees.

Labs/Teams: Leads research within the Translational Medicine Research Group (TMRG) at Aston Medical School, focusing on device-based therapies and imaging innovations.