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Home Home > Program > The History of Best Young Scientist Award Print

The History of Best Young Scientist Award

4th Winner | Dr. Alfonso Ielasi

Remarkable Career in Interventional Cardiology

Dr. Alfonso Ielasi is a passionate interventional cardiologist of Bolognini Hospital Seriate (BG), Italy. He started his career as an Interventional and Research Fellow under the guidance of Dr. Antonio Colombo at San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy. With a passion aroused by collaboration with San Raffaele¡¯s Team, he has been making his career in the subject of complex coronary intervention, PFO closure, and Parachute implantation. Nowadays his focus is on the performance of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds, particularly in patients with ST-segment myocardial infarction. He has been awarded numerous prizes including Best Young Interventional Case Competition Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology (SICI-GISE) in 2012, Best Abstract Presenter Award TCT Asia Pacific in 2015, and Best Abstract Presenter Award Asia PCR Sing/ Live in 2016.

Interview with Dr. Alfonso Ielasi

Q1) How did the work with Dr. Colombo and his team inspire you?
The years I spent in San Raffaele Hospital were very important and paved my professional path. Working with Dr. Colombo and his team aroused my passion for this discipline and the true desire to advance knowledge and to coordinate the scientific work in areas where there is such a need. For these reasons, since the beginning of my young career I have been very intrigued not only in performing procedures but also in scientific production with a genuine interest towards clinical research.

Q2) What are the attractive points of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) technology?
Fully bioresorbable scaffolds (BVS) have been introduced to accomplish the same goals (i.e. provide transient vessel support associated with drug-delivery capability) as metallic DES within the first year after implantation, thereafter disappearing entirely within 3 years after implantation. By liberating the coronary artery from the metallic caging, BVS may allow the vessel to recover pulsatility, to remodel in response to shear and wall stress with late lumen gain, to restore physiological vasomotion, and theoretically to avoid the late adverse events (i.e. stent thrombosis, neo-atherosclerosis) related to the presence of a permanent structure within the vessel wall.

Q3) What do you think about the future of BVS technology?
The body of evidence regarding the performance of the actual BVS technology confers a certain sense of deja vu, as with first generation DES. The concerns regarding a higher risk of adverse events became apparent with the availability of larger sample sizes and a broader clinical use. However, the awareness of intrinsic limitations of first-generation devices prompted continuous iterations, which led to contemporary high performance DES with unprecedented safety and efficacy. This is certainly the future of BVS technology. Meanwhile, as the process of improvement of BVS technology goes on, the use of these devices should be guided by available evidence and procedural protocols specific to this technology should be followed.

Q4) What are your goals for the next five years?
My long-term goals involve progressing my career in an interventional and research team where I can continue to learn, take on additional responsibilities, and contribute as much value as I can.

Q5) Any advice for young cardiologist?
Be passionate and try to intertwine the intellectual fruits of curiosity-driven science with the emotional satisfaction of making a lasting difference in the lives of patients.