Created in 2014, World Heart Federation Emerging Leaders is among the first international training programmes on cardiovascular implementation research. Its main objective is to build up capacity, professional development, mentorship, and networking of CVD Emerging Leaders (ELs) in 100 countries.
Due to the success of the initial three cohorts of Emerging Leaders, which took place in Hamilton, Lima and Bangalore, we are now looking at the timing, location and the content of the next cohort to ensure that we build on our successes so far.
For this reason, we are postponing the application process, usually held in August, until early 2017. We shall publicize the timing, subject matter and application process through our membership channels, broader third party contacts and existing Emerging Leaders throughout the world.
In 2016, the Emerging Leaders focus was on tobacco cessation and control, a challenge, for many reasons in low-, middle- and high-income countries. Previous years have also seen a focus on secondary prevention and raised blood pressure. A particular strength of the programme has been the ability to bring together multi-disciplinary expertise and participation; the 2016 Emerging Leaders cohort, for example, brought together economists, researchers, nurses, tobacco control advocates and physicians providing varied approaches to a common challenge.