Agenda

Brain-Heart & Neuromodulation Symposium

October 24–25, 2025

Times shown in PT

Friday, October 24, 2025

Evening Cocktails

6:00 PM

Evening Faculty Dinner

6:30 PM
Friday Evening Program 8:00 – 9:00 PM
Talk + discussion
›
8:00 – 8:30 PM
Neurocardiology and Cardiac Neuromodulation: Physiologic Principles and Therapeutic Expectations

Speakers Kalyanam Shivkumar MD, Olujimi Ajijola MD

8:30 – 9:00 PM
Discussion
Saturday, October 25, 2025

Morning Registration & Vendor Exhibit

7:30 AM

Welcome Welcome & Introduction to the 5th Annual Brain–Heart & Neuromodulation Symposium

7:55 – 8:00 AM

Speakers Robert Lemery MD, Vijay Swarup MD, David Wang DO, Kalyanam Shivkumar MD

Session I — Jeff Ardell & the Human Legacy to the Physiology of the Autonomic Nervous System & the Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Moderators: Kalyanam Shivkumar MD, Olujimi Ajijola MD
›
8:00 – 8:10 AM
How About 7 Decades of Contributions to Human Physiology from the Trio of Randall–Ardell–Armour

Speaker Robert Lemery MD

8:10 – 8:20 AM
Anatomy of the (Cardiac) Autonomic Nervous System

Speaker Guru Kowlgi MBBS

8:20 – 8:30 AM
Physiology of the Extrinsic and Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System

Speaker Sunny Po MD

8:30 – 8:40 AM
Simultaneous Recordings of ECG and Skin Sympathetic Nerve Activity

Speaker Peng-Sheng Chen MD

8:40 – 8:50 AM
Jeffrey L. Ardell, PhD.: Translational Neurocardiology. I. Contributions

Speaker Olujimi Ajijola MD

8:50 – 9:00 AM
Jeffrey L. Ardell, PhD.: Translational Neurocardiology. II. Advancements

Speaker Olujimi Ajijola MD

9:00 – 9:10 AM
Jeffrey L. Ardell, PhD.: Translational Neurocardiology. III. Future Impact

Speaker Olujimi Ajijola MD

9:10 – 9:30 AM
Panel Discussion & Q&A

Pause Pause and Coffee Break

9:30 – 10:00 AM
Session II — Cardiac Neuromodulation Affecting Mostly SYMPATHETIC Innervation 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Moderators: Robert Lemery MD, Sunny Po MD
›
10:00 – 10:10 AM
Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation: Anatomic & Physiologic Principles During Thoracoscopic Surgical Interventions for VT/VF

Speaker Kalyanam Shivkumar MD

10:10 – 10:20 AM
Psychological and Psychiatric Outcomes Following Stellate Ganglion Block and Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation

Speaker Sahib Khalsa MD

10:20 – 10:30 AM
Sympathetic Tone and Neuropeptide Y: Culprit and Foe

Speaker Olujimi Ajijola MD

10:30 – 10:40 AM
Sympathetic Nerve Activity and ST-segment Depression

Speaker Peng-Sheng Chen MD

10:40 – 10:50 AM
Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation Targeting the Vestigial Fold in Humans

Speaker Kalyanam Shivkumar MD

10:50 – 11:00 AM
PFA and Thermal Ablation Technologies for Ablation of AF and Different Impacts on Autonomic Tone

Speaker Guru Kowlgi MBBS

11:00 – 11:10 AM
Epicardial Delivery of Electroporation on the Cardiac Ganglia: PFA Does Impact Autonomic Tone

Speaker Guru Kowlgi MBBS

11:10 – 11:30 AM
Panel Discussion & Q&A
Session III — Atrial Fibrillation & Stroke Prevention Debate 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Moderators: Vivek Reddy MD, Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy MD
›
11:30 – 11:40 AM
The PHARMACOLOGIC Approach: Anticoagulants and Beyond — PRO

Speaker Arash Aryana MD

11:40 – 11:50 AM
The COMBINED Approach: Catheter Ablation + Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion — PRO

Speaker Shephal Doshi MD

11:50 – 12:00 PM
The COMBINED Approach: Catheter Ablation + Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion — CON

Speaker Vijay Swarup MD

Lunch — Heart Failure Primer 12:10 – 12:50 PM
Moderators: William Resh MD, Sunil Kalla MD
›
12:10 – 12:20 PM
Neuromodulation in Congestive Heart Failure: Carotid Baroreceptor Stimulation and Cardiac Contractility Modulation

Speaker David Kenigsberg MD

12:20 – 12:30 PM
Leadless Pacing for Performing Conduction System Pacing

Speaker Shephal Doshi MD

12:30 – 12:40 PM
Extravascular Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Systems

Speaker Sudarone Thihalolipavan MD

12:40 – 12:50 PM
Amyloid Disease in the Brain and Heart: Stabilizing Transthyretin Protein in Cardiac Amyloidosis

Speaker Sina Nafisi MD

Session IV — Atrial Fibrillation & the Management of Stroke 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Moderators: Supreet Kaur MD, Shephal Doshi MD
›
1:00 – 1:10 PM
How Modern AF Ablation and LAA physiology are Rewriting Stroke Prevention

Speaker Vijay Swarup MD

1:10 – 1:20 PM
Embolic Strokes of Unknown Source (ESUS): Controversies in Diagnosis, Risk, and Treatment

Speaker Supreet Kaur MD

1:20 – 1:30 PM
Tailored Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation

Speaker Edip Gurol MD

1:30 – 1:40 PM
Atrial Fibrillation & Cognition

Speaker Edip Gurol MD

1:40 – 1:50 PM
Moving Forward: Beyond 30 years of Lytic Treatment for Acute Stroke Management

Speaker David Wang DO

1:50 – 2:00 PM
Low-Field MRI for Diagnosis of Stroke Care: Revolutionizing Detection, Diagnosis and Intervention

Speaker David Wang DO

2:00 – 2:10 PM
The Ambulatory Surgical Center & The Management of Rhythm Disorders: A New Era in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology

Speaker Arash Aryana MD

2:10 – 2:30 PM
Panel Discussion & Q&A

Pause Pause and Coffee Break

2:30 – 3:00 PM
Session V — Cardiac Neuromodulation Affecting Mostly PARASYMPATHETIC Innervation 3:00 – 4:30 PM
Moderators: David Kenigsberg MD, David Wang DO
›
3:00 – 3:10 PM
Neuromodulation for Paroxysmal AF. I. Conceptual Basis

Speaker Peng-Sheng Chen MD

3:10 – 3:20 PM
Neuromodulation for AF. II. Tragus Nerve Stimulation & Cardioneural Ablation (Paroxysmal & Post-Operative AF)

Speaker Sunny Po MD

3:20 – 3:30 PM
Neuromodulation for Syncope. I. Conceptual Basis

Speaker Sri Sundaram MD

3:30 – 3:40 PM
Neuromodulation for Syncope. II. Cardioneural Ablation — The US Registry Trial

Speaker Sri Sundaram MD

3:40 – 3:50 PM
Outcomes of Neuromodulation Interventions: Nuclear Imaging of the Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System

Speaker Robert Lemery MD

3:50 – 4:00 PM
Cardiac Interoception and Neuromodulation

Speaker Sahib Khalsa MD

4:00 – 4:10 PM
Cardiac Neuromodulation: A Fine Balancing Act

Speaker Kalyanam Shivkumar MD

4:10 – 4:30 PM
Panel Discussion & Q&A
Session VI — NIH & Industry Sponsored Trials: NEW and UPCOMING 4:30 – 5:00 PM
Moderators: Vivek Reddy MD, Peng-Sheng Chen MD, Kalyanam Shivkumar MD
›
4:30 – 4:35 PM
Research Study I
4:35 – 4:40 PM
Research Study II
4:40 – 4:45 PM
Research Study III
4:45 – 4:50 PM
Research Study IV
4:50 – 4:55 PM
Research Study V
4:55 – 5:00 PM
Summary

Wrap Concluding Remarks

5:00 PM

Speakers Robert Lemery MD, Vijay Swarup MD, David Wang DO, Kalyanam Shivkumar MD

End Meeting Adjourns

5:05 PM

Social Refreshments and Snacks

5:05 – 6:00 PM

This activity has been planned and implemented by CineMed and Arizona Cardiovascular Research Foundation. CineMed is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

CineMed designates this live activity for 8.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This educational activity is also approved for 8.00 contact hours for nurses.