Professor Gerry McCann

Professor Gerry McCann is BHF Professor of Cardiology at the University of Leicester and an Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital. He is a leading clinical researcher specialising in cardiovascular MRI and clinical trials, with major research interests in heart failure, diabetes, aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease. He directs a multidisciplinary imaging and trials research programme focused on improving the understanding, early detection and treatment of heart disease.

Professor McCann is Cardiovascular Theme Lead for the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre and Intervention Theme Lead for the BHF Leicester Centre of Research Excellence. His research has influenced international clinical guidelines, particularly in the investigation of suspected angina and the management of myocardial infarction, and he leads major multicentre trials including the BHF-funded EASY-AS study in aortic stenosis.

An NIHR Senior Investigator with an extensive international profile, Professor McCann collaborates widely and has a strong track record of developing clinical researchers across all career stages.

Professor McCann's research focuses on using advanced imaging techniques to better understand the mechanisms of heart disease, including myocardial injury, heart failure, aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease. His collaborative work has contributed significantly to improving diagnostic accuracy and guiding treatment decisions in clinical cardiology with multiple studies that have influenced major International guidelines. Professor McCann leads a major programme aiming to improve our understanding of how type 2 diabetes progresses towards heart failure and he also leads the largest-ever trial of timing of intervention in aortic stenosis- the BHF funded EASY-AS trial.

Professor McCann has published over 190 peer-reviewed articles, 120 of which have been in the last 5 years and he is senior or first author on over half of these publications. Current H-Index is 38 (i10 99/Google Scholar, April 2021) and has over 5,000 citations.

Professor McCann's publications

Top ten publications since 2020

1. Mehta SR, …….McCann GP, Banning A, Hofsten DE, Casella G, Kirabo FR, Nguyen H, Wood DA, Cairns JA, Engstrom T. Complete versus culprit lesion-only revascularisation for acute myocardial infarction (Complete Revascularisation Trialists' Collaboration): an individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised trials. Lancet. 2025 Dec 13;406(10521):2772-2781. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)02170-1.
2. Loganath K, ….. McCann GP, Prendergast B, Singh A, Newby DE, Dweck MR, investigators E. Early Intervention in Patients With Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis and Myocardial Fibrosis: The EVOLVED Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association 2025;333:213-221
3. Fairbairn TA,….… McCann GP, Duckett S, Mansoubi H, Parish V, Sehmi J, Rogers C, Mullen S, Weir-McCal LJ. Implementation of a national AI technology program on cardiovascular outcomes and the health system. Nat Med 2025;31:1903-1910
4. Yates T, Razieh C… McCann GP. Device-measured physical activity and cardiac structure by magnetic resonance. Eur Heart J 2025 Vol. 46 Issue 2 Pages 176-186.
5. Loganath K, …….. McCann GP, Prendergast B, Singh A, Newby DE, Dweck MR. Early Intervention in Patients With Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis and Myocardial Fibrosis: The EVOLVED Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2025 333; 213-221.
6. Campo G, Böhm F, Engstrøm T, Smits PC, Elgendy IY, McCann GP, Wood DA, Serenelli M, James S, Høfsten DE, Boxm-de Klerk BM, Banning A, Cairns JA, Pavasini R, Stankovic G, Kala P, Kelbæk H, Barbato E, Srdanovic I, Hamza M, Banning AS, Biscaglia S, Mehta S. Complete Versus Culprit-Only Revascularization in Older Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: An Individual Patient Meta-Analysis. Circulation 2024;150:1508-1516
7. Artico J, Shiwani H, Moon JC, Gorecka M, McCann GP, et al. Myocardial Involvement After Hospitalization for COVID-19 Complicated by Troponin Elevation: Circulation. 2023;147:364-374. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.0606322.
8. Arnold JR, Kanagala P, Budgeon CA, …McCann GP. Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Microvascular Dysfunction in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction. JACC Cardiovascular imaging. 2022;15:1001-1011. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2021.11.022
9. Kite TA, Kurmani SA, Bountziouka … McCann GP, et al. Timing of invasive strategy in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. European heart journal. 2022;43:3148-3161. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac213
10. Gulsin GS, DJ Swarbrick, Athithan L, …. McCann GP. Effects of low-energy diet or exercise on cardiovascular function in working-age adults with type 2 diabetes: a prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint trial. Diabetes Care 2020 Jun;43(6):1300-1310. doi: 10.2337/dc20-0129.

Prof McCann has been the principal supervisor for 14 doctorates - many of whom have won national and international awards. Two of his former trainees are associate professors at the University of Leicester and others have senior positions in Melbourne, Edmonton and within Industry.

The Cardiovascular Imaging group comprises 25-30 staff and students. All of our academic trainees have made excellent progress.

Professor McCann’s main teaching contribution is through the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students. He has an excellent track record in all domains and a major focus is the development of individuals within the Cardiovascular Imaging Research group.

In addition Gerry delivers occasional lectures to undergraduate medical students, post-graduate trainees and hands-on clinical training in CMR. He lectures widely on CMR, aortic stenosis and diabetic heart disease and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences.

Personal awards

• BHF Professor of Cardiology (2026)
• NIHR Senior Investigator (2025)
• University of Leicester Research Excellence Award 2021- CV imaging group
• NIHR Research Professorship 2018-2023
• Frank May Prize Lecture and Medal 2018 (Most Outstanding Medical Research Leicester)
• East Midlands CRN Finalist: Exemplary investigator contribution 2017.
• Awards - for student supervision (2015, 2016). BJCA trainer of the year 2016 - runner up.
• ACC Best Abstract from the UK 2015
• NIHR Career Development Fellowship 2014-18
• NIHR Postdctoral Fellowship 2011-14
• Da Vinci Early Clinical Research Award, February 2010 (With Ng/ Nicolson)
• ESC Clinical Training Fellowship (MRI), Amsterdam, 2004

Student awards

International

• AHA Samuel Levine Early Career Investigator Award, G Gulsin (2019)
• Society of Cardiovascular MR Early Career Award: Winner A Singh (2016)
• Finalists C Steadman (2011), P Kanagala (2018)

National

• BCS – Best of the best abstracts, Winner Saadia Aslam 2025
• British Society for Cardiovascular Imaging - YIA Finalist Alice Cowley 2025
• British Society of Cardiac MR – YIA winner 2023 J Yeo
• British Society of Echocardiography - YIA 2022 Finalist A Alfuhied
• British Society of Cardiovascular MRI- YIA Award Winner 2020- Dr G Gulsin
• Presidents Cardiology Section of the Royal Society, finalists, Alastair Moss & Gaurav Gulsin, Oct 2020
• Royal College of Physicians, Turner-Warwick Lecturer, Matt Graham-Brown, March 2020  British Society for Heart failure : Winner Gulsin 2019; Runner-up Kanagala 2018
• British/Irish Hypertension Society:
• Young Investigator Award Winner 2017: W Hunt
• Dr Robert Grayson Award Vascular Disease: G Gulsin 2019; J Yeo 2021
• British Heart Valve Society 2015 – Young Investigator Award Winner (A Singh)
• BMA student research award 2017 (Runner-up S Ardenwalla);

College PhD prizes

• (Nicolson 2013;Kanagala 2018),

• University of Glasgow, MB ChB Medicine July 1992, 1985-1992
• BSc (Hons 2:1) Physiology/Sports Science 1989
• MRCP (UK), February 1995
• Dip Sp Med Scottish Royal Colleges, April 1997
• MD University of Glasgow, April 2002