Born in 1950 in Paris, France, Alec Vahanian studied medicine at University Paris VI becoming a Doctor of medicine in 1972. He became a Professor of Cardiology in 1988 and was made head of the cardiology department at Tenon Hospital, Paris in 1994. His special research interests are in valvular heart disease and interventional cardiology. He is a member of the Board of the European Society of Cardiology and Chairman of the Education Committee. He was Chairman of the 2007 and 2012 ESC/EACTS Task Force and Valvular Heart Disease. He is also a member of the French Society of Cardiology and former President (2003-2007) of the French Federation of Cardiology. Alec Vahanian is associate editor of the European Heart Journal and EuroIntervention as well as a member of the editorial committee for various international journals including Archives of Cardiovascular Disease and JACC Interventions. He is the author of over 400 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has given over 600 invited lectures at National & International congresses.