At the 2026 ESC (European Society of Cardiology) Congress in Munich, I had the great honor of chairing several important scientific sessions dedicated to a number of current and rapidly evolving areas of modern cardiology.
Particular attention during the sessions was given to pregnancy and the heart — the early recognition of cardiovascular disease during pregnancy, the management of pre-existing cardiovascular conditions, and contemporary approaches to risk stratification.
I also chaired sessions focused on acute pulmonary embolism, where contemporary approaches to risk assessment, clinical characteristics, the role of biomarkers, and the potential of artificial intelligence to enable more accurate and personalized decision-making were discussed.
One of the key sessions focused on left atrial function, structural and functional changes of the heart, advanced imaging techniques, and digital phenotyping. The discussions covered the capabilities of echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, the assessment of diastolic dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, as well as emerging markers of congestion and hemodynamic status.
Another important part of the congress focused on cardiometabolic health — the impact of obesity on cardiovascular risk, heart failure, and metabolic disorders, as well as the role of modern pharmacological approaches in weight management and reducing cardiovascular risk.
A particularly important and highly valuable experience for me was being a faculty member of the ESC Heart Team Challenge, where I took on the role of an educator and mentor.
This was a dynamic, case-based educational workshop that brought together cardiologists from different countries to work through real-world clinical cases. Participants worked in teams to analyze complex clinical scenarios, integrate clinical, imaging, and biomarker data, and make decisions based on the latest ESC Guidelines.
What I found particularly valuable was working with colleagues — listening to their clinical reasoning, discussing complex decisions, comparing different approaches, and analyzing why one particular decision might be more appropriate for a specific patient.
For me, the role of an educator and mentor is about more than simply sharing knowledge. It means guiding clinical reasoning, asking the right questions, encouraging discussion, and helping colleagues develop the ability to make the best evidence-based decisions themselves in complex clinical situations.
Chairing sessions alongside international experts, engaging in professional discussions with speakers, sharing experiences from different countries, and connecting the latest scientific evidence with clinical practice was not only a great professional honor, but also a truly meaningful experience and a source of motivation for me.
I am proud to have had the opportunity to present my professional experience on such an important international platform — both as a session chair and as an educator and mentor — and to have been part of the international scientific and educational dialogue that is shaping the future of modern cardiology.
Nino Chaghiashvili, Cardiologist, Specialist in Internal Medicine, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, FESC
Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Pineo Medical Ecosystem
