Dr Bleakley is a consultant cardiologist at the Royal Free Hospital, London where she is also currently the clinical lead for cardiac imaging.1 She graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2003 and has a postgraduate MD degree in 99 cardiovascular research.

Dr Bleakley completed fellowships in cardiology and advanced echocardiography at two of the largest specialist heart centres in Europe (King’s College Hospital and the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK). During these fellowships she was expertly trained in ischaemia and valve stress echo, TOE, 3D and contrast echo as well as in structural interventional echocardiography. She was subsequently appointed as locum consultant cardiologist at both King’s and the Brompton.

She holds an assistant clinical professor (University College Dublin), is a fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography, an invited speaker and widely published. Dr Bleakley has a particular interest in advanced echocardiography and valvular heart disease, with experience in structural interventional imaging.