Faculty & Speakers

Clinical Department of Cardiology at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Prof. Irene Marthe Lang is Professor of Vascular Biology and Deputy Director of the Clinical Department of Cardiology at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. She is widely regarded as one of Europe’s leading authorities in pulmonary vascular medicine, with major contributions to the understanding and treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).
After completing her medical training and residency at the University of Vienna, she continued her scientific development through an advanced post-doctoral research fellowship at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, USA, a renowned centre for biomedical innovation. This period significantly shaped her translational approach, integrating molecular vascular biology with clinical cardiology.
Since 2004, Prof. Lang has held her professorship in Vienna, where she leads both a clinical programme dedicated to pulmonary vascular diseases and a highly active experimental research group in vascular medicine. Under her leadership, balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) has become an established European interventional therapy for patients with inoperable CTEPH — an achievement recognised with the prestigious Andreas Grüntzig Award of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in 2023.
Memberships and Professional Roles:
• Member of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
• Member of the American Thoracic Society (ATS)
• Member of the European Respiratory Society (ERS)
• Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW)
• Recipient of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
• Honorary Doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa), Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje
• Former President and long-standing leader within the Austrian Society of Cardiology
Her scientific expertise spans vascular biology, cardiology, thrombosis, microvascular remodelling and innovative interventional therapies in PH and CTEPH. With a long-standing commitment to patient-centred medicine and extensive international collaborations, Prof. Lang continues to shape the field of pulmonary vascular disease in Europe and beyond.
We are honoured to welcome Prof. Irene Marthe Lang as a distinguished speaker at the Romanian–European Dialogue on Pulmonary Hypertension 2025.

2nd Department of Medicine – Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic

Pavel Jansa, MD, PhD, was educated at the Charles University in Prague, First Faculty of Medicine (1996). He specialised in internal medicine in 1999 and cardiology in 2005. He is Chief of the Centre for Pulmonary Hypertension at the Department of Cardiology and Angiology, General University Hospital, Prague, and Associate Professor at the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague. Dr. Jansa is Chairman of the Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation of the Czech Society of Cardiology. His research interests include epidemiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension, coagulation disorders in pulmonary hypertension, small-vessel disease in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and balloon pulmonary angioplasty. Dr. Jansa has served as the principal investigator and steering committee member of pulmonary hypertension clinical trials and has co-authored research articles published in numerous international peer-reviewed medical journals.

University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila" Bucharest

Professor Miron Alexandru Bogdan, MD, PhD, is a distinguished internist and pulmonologist and a respected faculty member at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, where he serves as Professor of Pulmonology. A consultant-level physician in both internal medicine and respiratory medicine, he has combined clinical leadership—formerly as Head of Section at the “Marius Nasta” National Institute of Pneumology—with a sustained commitment to education and mentorship as a doctoral supervisor, guiding numerous PhD candidates. He is a co-founder of the B52 Cardio-Thorax Centre and maintains an active clinical practice across public institutions and leading private networks, including Regina Maria and Sanador. His training, scholarship, and service have made a lasting contribution to Romanian respiratory medicine.

George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures. Pulmonary Hypertension Center, Department of Internal Medicine II – Cardiology, County Emergency Hospital of Targu Mures

Professor Ioan ȚILEA, MD, PhD, MSc is a Professor of Medicine at the “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, where he leads Internal Medicine Department VIII and serves as Director of Department M4. A consultant in Cardiology and Internal Medicine, he heads the Department of Internal Medicine II – Cardiology (PH Expert Centre) at the Mureș County Emergency Clinical Hospital and has coordinated the National Rare Disease Treatment Program for pulmonary hypertension at the center since 2015. His earlier career includes interventional cardiology roles and leadership of the cardiac catheterization laboratory. He holds a PhD (2006) and a Master’s in Healthcare System Management (2004–2005), with additional advanced training including the ERN-LUNG Academy at Hôpital Erasme, Brussels (2024). His academic work focuses on systemic and pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, and cardiovascular prevention; he is a reviewer for multiple ISI journals, a member of ESC (HFA, EACVI, EAPCI, Cardio-Oncology Council), ESH, SRC, and PVRI.

Center for Research and Innovation in Personalised Medicine of Respiratory Diseases, Pulmonology University Clinic, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara. Pulmonary Hypertension Treatment Unit, Center of Expertise for Adult Rare Respiratory Diseases, Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophthisiology “Dr. Victor Babes” Timisoara

Professor Ovidiu Fira-Mladinescu is a leading figure in Romanian pulmonology and a longstanding member of the academic community at the “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMFT) in Timișoara, where he serves as Full Professor. In addition to his teaching and mentorship activities, he directs the Division of Pulmonology at UMFT and heads the Second Pulmonology Clinic at the “Dr. Victor Babeș” Hospital. Through a sustained programme of translational and multidisciplinary research, Professor Fira-Mladinescu has made substantial contributions to the advancement of the field and has been recognised by the Romanian Society of Pulmonology for his impact. Notably, he led the development and accreditation of Romania’s first Centre of Expertise for Rare Pulmonary Diseases—an achievement that has significantly strengthened national capacity for specialised care, research, and training in this area.

George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures. Pulmonary Hypertension Center, Department of Internal Medicine II – Cardiology, County Emergency Hospital of Targu Mures

Professor Andreea VARGA, MD, PhD is a Professor of Medicine at the “G.E. Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș (Faculty of Medicine in English), where she has led the Discipline of Family Medicine since 2020 and contributes to academic leadership at the UMFST-UMCH Hamburg branch. A consultant physician in Cardiology and Family Medicine at the County Emergency Clinical Hospital of Târgu Mureș (PH Expert Centre), she is a member of Romania’s Ministry of Health commissions for Adverse Post-Vaccination Reactions (since 2023) and Family Medicine (since 2022). Her training includes a PhD (2015), master’s degrees in Healthcare Management and Pulmonary Vascular Diseases, a postgraduate course in Heart Failure, and ongoing postgraduate study with Harvard Medical School. She has coordinated/participated in international clinical trials, serves as reviewer and editor for medical journals, and her research focuses on cardiovascular prevention, heart failure, pulmonary vascular disease, and medical education.

Department of Pulmonary Circulation, Thromboembolic Diseases, and Cardiology CMKP, European Health Center in Otwock, Poland

Prof. Szymon Darocha is invasive cardiologist and chest physician, an expert in the field of pulmonary circulation. He graduated from the Medical University of Warsaw in 2008. He works as an Professor at the Department of Pulmonary Circulation, Thromboembolic Diseases, and Cardiology CMKP at the European Health Center in Otwock, Poland. In 2010, he completed postgraduate studies at the Medical University of Warsaw in the field of transplant coordination, and in 2018, he completed faculty at the University of Bologna in the field of Master Degree of Pulmonary Hypertension. Since 2013, he has been a lecturer at the Postgraduate Medical Education Center. Since 2015 became a member of the Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation & Right Ventricular Function at the ESC, and since 2017, a member of the Board of the Pulmonary Circulation Section and a member of Club 30 of the Polish Cardiac Society.
In 2013, he implemented a treatment program with the use of balloon angioplasty (BPA) of in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. He is leading a program of interventional treatment of acute pulmonary embolism as part of PERT (Pulmonary Embolism Response Team). He is actively involved in scientific work. The results of his research focused on interventional treatment options for pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary embolism.

Department of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Thromboembolic Diseases at the European Health Centre in Otwock, Poland

Michał Piłka, MD, PhD, is a specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, with a PhD in medical sciences. He graduated from the Medical University of Warsaw and completed doctoral studies at the Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education. Since 2013, he has worked at the Department of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Thromboembolic Diseases at the European Health Centre in Otwock, Poland. His clinical and research interests include pulmonary arterial hypertension, thromboembolic disorders, and advanced cardiovascular therapies. He is the author and co-author of numerous scientific publications on pulmonary hypertension and an active lecturer at national and international medical conferences.

George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures. Clinical Compartment of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases at the Mureș County Emergency Clinical Hospital

Professor Mariana Cornelia TILINCA is a Professor of Medicine at the “G.E. Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, where she leads the ME2 Department of Clinical Disciplines within the Faculty of Medicine in English. A board-certified senior physician in Internal Medicine and in Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, she heads the Clinical Compartment of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases at the Mureș County Emergency Clinical Hospital and serves as County Coordinator for Romania’s National Program for Diabetes. She also coordinates residency training in her specialty and chairs the hospital’s Board of Directors. Her interests focus on interdisciplinary management of metabolic disorders and diabetes technologies. She holds a Master’s in Health Management and a certificate in Health Services Management, and her scholarly output includes 13 specialty books, 43 ISI-indexed papers, and 63 B+/BDI article.

Center for Research and Innovation in Personalised Medicine of Respiratory Diseases, Pulmonology University Clinic, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara. Pulmonary Hypertension Treatment Unit, Center of Expertise for Adult Rare Respiratory Diseases, Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophthisiology “Dr. Victor Babes” Timisoara

Dr. Nicoleta-Sorina Bertici is a Consultant Pulmonologist and Sleep Medicine Specialist, recognized for her work at the Arad Pneumophthisiology Hospital. As a pulmonary specialist, she has helped educate the public about pulmonary tuberculosis—its transmission and prevention—through articles published on the PneumoControl platform. She has also co-authored a pulmonology course for medical students alongside other experts, demonstrating her commitment to training the next generation of physicians. In addition to her expertise in pulmonology, Dr. Bertici practices sleep medicine, a field dedicated to the study and management of sleep disorders. Her credentials are further supported by a Doctor of Medical Sciences (PhD) degree.

First Department of Pneumology and Phthisiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila" Bucharest. Section VI Pneumology, Marius Nasta Institute of Pneumology.

Dr Tudor Constantinescu is a specialist pulmonologist at the “Marius Nasta” National Institute of Pneumology in Bucharest. Throughout his career, he has maintained close academic ties with the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMFCD), contributing to teaching and collaborative projects. Clinically, he manages the full spectrum of respiratory disorders and has served as coordinator of the National Programme for the Treatment of Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, where he helped implement multidisciplinary care pathways and disseminate best practices. He is also an active advocate for public health, providing expert interviews and educational outreach to raise awareness of pulmonary vascular disease. His scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed publications in respiratory medicine.

PhD student, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures. Pulmonary Hypertension Center, Department of Cardiology I, Emergency Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases and Transplantation of Targu Mures, Romani

Dr. Diana Andreea Moldovan is an Assistant Professor in the Discipline of Family Medicine and a PhD student of the Doctoral School of Medicine and Pharmacy at the “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology from Targu Mures. She completed her medical studies at the same institution in 2020 and subsequently began her Cardiology residency at the Emergency Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Transplantation from Târgu Mureș.
Her clinical and research interests focused on heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, with current work directed towards improving diagnostic strategies and patient outcomes in these fields. Throughout her training, she has participated in various academic and clinical activities, contributing to multidisciplinary teams and aimed at improving patient education and raising awareness of cardiovascular health.

PhD student, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures. Pulmonary Hypertension Center, Department of Cardiology I, Emergency Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases and Transplantation of Targu Mures, Romani

Dr. Liviu Cristescu is a cardiologist who recently became a specialist doctor after completing six years of residency training. He performs cardiopulmonary exercise testing at an early stage in the diagnostic work-up of patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension. He holds a Master’s degree in scientific research and is currently a PhD student in cardiology, with a research focus on pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. He has authored several medical publications in these fields.

PhD student, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures. Pulmonary Hypertension Center, Department of Internal Medicine II – Cardiology, County Emergency Hospital of Targu Mures, Romania

Dragoș-Gabriel Iancu, MD, is a Specialist in Internal Medicine at the County Emergency Clinical Hospital in Târgu Mureș, Romania, and Assistant Lecturer in the Internal Medicine VIII Department at the “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș. He is currently a PhD student at the same institution, with clinical and research interests focused on pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, cardio-renal-hepatic interactions, and novel prognostic biomarkers. Dr. Iancu is first author and co-author of multiple papers published in Q1 ISI-indexed journals and several book chapters in internal medicine and cardiology. He has been actively involved in the organization of national and international cardiology and pulmonary hypertension conferences and has contributed to the Romanian translation of European Society of Cardiology guidelines. His academic activity also includes teaching medical semiology and internal medicine to undergraduate students.

Alianța Națională pentru Boli Rare România

Dorica Dan is a psychologist and the mother of a daughter diagnosed with Prader–Willi syndrome. She founded the Romanian Prader–Willi Association (APWR) in 2003, launched the National Alliance for Rare Diseases Romania (ANBRaRo) in 2007, and in 2011 established the Romanian Association for Rare Cancers. She opened Romania’s first Information Center on Rare Genetic Diseases, initiated the National Plan for Rare Diseases, and founded the NoRo Center in Zalău. She has served on the Board of Directors of EURORDIS (the European Organization for Rare Diseases) since 2007, is the ePAG Chair for ERN ITHACA (the European Reference Network for Congenital Anomalies), Vice-President of RareResourceNet, a member of the National Council for Rare Diseases (CNBR) of the Ministry of Health, a Board member of COPAC (the Coalition of Organizations of Patients with Chronic Diseases in Romania), and an Ashoka Fellow since 2018.

Coaliţia Organizaţiilor Pacienţilor cu Afecţiuni Cronice din România

In 2004, inspired to change a cumbersome health system that offered few options, I founded—together with other patients—the Romanian Association of People with Thalassaemia Major. In 2006, the Association became a member of the Thalassaemia International Federation, which helped promote modern treatment options in line with international guidelines.
In 2008, the organization joined the National Alliance for Rare Diseases, and in 2010 it became a member of the Coalition of Patient Organizations with Chronic Diseases, which in turn became a member organization of the European Patients’ Forum in 2011. In 2013, I was elected President of the Coalition of Patient Organizations with Chronic Diseases.
Also in 2013, I was elected to the Board of the European Patients’ Forum, becoming Treasurer in 2016. This was an opportunity to share my financial expertise, working closely with the Secretariat. I have been actively involved in key initiatives such as capacity-building for patient associations, vaccination for people with chronic diseases, and patient involvement in clinical trials and innovation more broadly.

Asociaţia Pacienţilor Hipertensivi Pulmonari

I have lived with pulmonary hypertension since 2010, following a thromboembolic event. From the start I chose a mindset of agency: this disease would not define me—I would learn to manage it and overcome it. Guided by a multidisciplinary team of cardiologists and pulmonologists in whom I placed deep trust, I’ve navigated treatment with resilience and hope. In 2016, I took on the leadership of the Pulmonary Hypertension Patients’ Association, turning my experience into advocacy, community support, and a voice for better care.

Phone: +40 745 982 012, email: heinrich_12_bogdan@yahoo.com

European Pulmonary Hypertension Association

Florin Dumitrescu, Romania

Florin (56) is the husband of a patient, Nicoleta Roibu, who was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2022. She was initially treated at the center in Timișoara, but given the progression of the disease, she was taken over by a team of doctors from AKH Vienna, under the coordination of Prof. Irene Lang. Due to the rapid progression of the disease, she underwent a lung transplant in December 2023. The success of the procedure and her excellent recovery have enabled her to resume her normal activities and life. Given all the experience gained during this period, she and Florin decided to devote part of their time to supporting patients diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. Florin has been active since 2024 as a fellow of the European Pulmonary Hypertension Patient Association, liaising with the association in Romania. Currently, together with Bogdan Burduja, president of the Romanian association, he organizes events dedicated to patients in Romania.

Phone: +40 724 076 793, email: florin.dumitrescu.ro@gmail.com

European Pulmonary Hypertension Association

Hall Skaara began working as a consultant for PHA Europe in 2017. One of his key responsibilities has been leading the “White Spots” program, which aims to establish new pulmonary hypertension (PH) patient associations in countries where none exist. He also provides ongoing support to these associations during their early years. The program has been highly successful, and today, only a few countries remain without a PH patient association.

In addition to his work on the White Spots program, Hall has played a key role in developing and maintaining PHA Europe’s Bel Air Center, a virtual PH conference center. He has also been deeply involved in advocacy efforts, contributing to EU policy work, serving on scientific committees, and participating in various PH initiatives. Notably, he was part of the patient task force at the 7th World PH Symposium.

Hall also served as interim president of PHA Europe for a year, stepping in after the previous president decided to step down.

Hall is a founding member and the past President of the Norwegian Pulmonary Hypertension Patient Association. He has also been a conference speaker both in Norway and internationally.