Biography
Andrew Grace is an internationally renowned cardiologist. Over three decades he has undertaken research and developed technologies that have transformed clinical practice. These include subcutaneous defibrillators, which are recommended by health authorities worldwide for patients at risk of sudden cardiac death. He led their development through proof-of-concept human studies and multinational trials to regulatory approval and continues as a member of the company-independent patient safety board. He has also led programs from concept to approval for single-shot catheters for atrial fibrillation ablation and for non-contact systems used to map complex arrhythmias.
His other contributions include key advances in understanding cardiovascular mechanisms through the study of unique arrhythmia models. By adapting heart perfusion techniques he originally developed to analyse the heart’s membrane co-transporter functions, he showed that models recapitulated human monogenic arrhythmia phenotypes. He translated these findings into clinical techniques to predict risks for sudden death which he then tested in prospective trials.
He has published extensively whilst holding a full-time clinical post. His research contributions have been recognised by invitations to deliver plenary talks, visiting Professorships, editorial board memberships and a wide range of advisory roles including, most recently, with the Heart Research Institute, Sydney. He has advised on drug-associated long QT, an important safety issue, as a member of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the European Medicines Agency and was co-author of the European Society of Cardiology SVT guidelines.
From his long-standing academic base in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Cambridge he has influenced the teaching and training of generations of students and translational scientists. In 2020 he received an honorary chair from the University of Cambridge. His experience at the interfaces between basic science, industrial research and clinical care is unique internationally.
