Board of Directors
President
Charles J. Love, MD, FACC, FHRS, FAHA, CCDS
Director of Cardiac Rhythm Device Services
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Baltimore, MD USA
Dr. Charles Love is currently the Director of Cardiac Rhythm Device Services at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins, he served as Director of Cardiac Rhythm Device Services at New York University. Before that, he was Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at The Ohio State University Medical Center, practicing medicine at OSU for over 20 years. Known around the world as an expert and leader in techniques of pacemaker implantation and especially in the area of lead extraction, Dr. Love is an internationally sought speaker on pacemaker technology. He has made hundreds of presentations in venues ranging from the World Congress on Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology in Hong Kong to the Advanced Didactic Course on Cardiac Pacing in France and the Japanese Heart Rhythm Society in Tokyo. He has been published a number of times in peer-reviewed journals such as Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology. He is a member of several professional societies including the American College of Cardiology, The Heart Rhythm Society, and the American Heart Association. Dr. Love is the current president of the Board of Directors of IBHRE. He has been a member of the IBHRE Board of Directors since 1992.
Vice President/Treasurer
Edward V. Platia, MD, FHRS, CCDS, CEPS-A
Washington Hospital Center
Washington, DC USA
Dr. Edward V. Platia is a Cardiac Electrophysiologist at the Washington Hospital Center. He is also a professor of medicine at Georgetown University and George Washington University School of Medicine. His research interests have focused on cardiac arrhythmias. He has been principal investigator of a number of major grants, including the American Heart Association and National Institutes of Health. He has served on the editorial board of several cardiology journals, and continues to be a reviewer for Circulation, American Journal of Cardiology, Annals of Internal Medicine, and PACE. Dr. Platia has been a member of the IBHRE Board of Directors since 2002.
Secretary
Esther Weiss, MSN, APN, CNS, FHRS, CEPS
Advocate Sherman Hospital
Elgin, IL USA
Esther Weiss is currently practicing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist at Advocate Sherman Hospital. She has worked for many years in the hospital setting, helping to create the Electrophysiology Department and holding the lead position in the Device and Electrophysiology Lab. Esther has served on several councils and committees including NASPE/CAP in 1999, several HRS Document Review and Development Committees and the Writing Committee for a Consensus Statement, as well as IBHRE's Electrophysiology Test Writing Committee since 2007. She received an HRS Fellowship in 2015.
Members of the Board
Sana M. Al-Khatib, MD, MHS, FHRS
Ex-Oficio/HRS President
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC, USA
Dr. Al-Khatib is a tenured Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, a board-certified clinical electrophysiologist and an experienced clinical researcher in cardiac arrhythmias. Her clinical expertise is in sudden cardiac death prevention, ventricular arrhythmias, implantable cardiac devices, and atrial fibrillation. Her research expertise lies in the design and conduct of clinical trials, outcomes research, electronic clinical decision support, and the use of big data. She has more than 420 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Al-Khatib is a Senior Associate Editor for Circulation and is on the Editorial Board for Heart Rhythm, Circulation Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, JACC EP, and the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology. Dr. Al-Khatib is the current HRS President and previously served on the Heart Rhythm Society Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2016, and from 2020 to 2021 and 2022 to 2023 as the Secretary and Treasurer. She chaired the Heart Rhythm Society Program Committee from April 2024 to April 2025, and she served on the Heart Rhythm Society Digital Health Committee, Health Policy Committee, and the Finance Committee. Dr. Al-Khatib chaired the 2017 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Heart Rhythm Society on the Management of Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death. She was the Executive Producer for the inaugural HRS’ HRX 2022 meeting and was a co-Executive Producer for HRX 2023.
Michael A. Alfieri
Public Member
Founder & CEO Alfieri Enterprises
Darien, CT, USA
For more than 25 years, Michael was an executive and partner at Accenture. Specializing in innovation, information technology, and strategy, he transformed the array of Fortune 500 businesses for which he provided consulting services. After a fulfilling, successful, and well-traveled career, Michael realized a passion for residential development and founded Alfieri Enterprises in his hometown of Darien, Connecticut.
Since Alfieri Enterprises' inception, Michael has established himself as one of the most reputable and sought-after real estate developers in the area. As he is known for the impeccable quality of his work and his congenial nature, Michael maintains personal relationships with all of his business-related contracts and buyers of the luxury residences Alfieri Enterprises has built.
Michael has resided in Darien for over 35 years and has been active in many local endeavors, civic responsibilities, and community activities, including being a member of the philanthropic board of Yale New Haven Children's Hospital and a benefactor to the Yale School of Medicine. He became a member of the IBHRE Board of Directors in 2025.
Deepak Bhakta, MD, MBA, FACP, FACC, FAHA, FHRS, CCDS, CEPS-A
Indiana University Health Physicians
Indianapolis, IN USA
Dr. Deepak Bhakta is a Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Indiana University Health Physicians, where he is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Program Director of the Cardiovascular Disease fellowship program at Indiana University School of Medicine. He is an avid medical educator with focus on electrocardiographic interpretation, arrhythmia recognition and management, and cardiac rhythm device evaluation and troubleshooting. Dr. Bhakta served as the Vice-Chair for the 2022 HRS Expert Consensus Statement on Evaluation and Management of Arrhythmic Risk in Neuromuscular Disorders with continued volunteer efforts through Heart Rhythm Society, American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association. He is also an editorial board member of Heart Rhythm. Dr. Bhakta's involvement with IBHRE began in 2014 where he contributes to the Physician EP and Allied EP Test Writing Committees; he became a member of its Board of Directors in 2022.
Christine Chiu-Man, MSc, FHRS, CCDS, CEPS, RCES
Centenary Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Christine Chiu-Man serves an Arrhythmia Specialist at the Centenary Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Ms. Chiu-Man currently co-Chairs the IBHRE Allied Professional Electrophysiology Test Writing Committee. In addition, she is a member of the Physician Electrophysiology Test Writing Committee. Ms. Chiu-Man has served on the IBHRE Board of Directors since 2000.
George H. Crossley, III, MD, FHRS, CCDS
Vanderbilt Heart & Vascular Institute
Nashville, TN USA
Dr. George Crossley is active in clinical research, teaching and clinical medicine at Vanderbilt University, where he is a Professor in the Cardiology section. He is also the Director of the Cardiac Research Enterprise and the Medical Director of the EP Lab. Dr. Crossley has been active in the governance of both the ACC, where he served on the Board of Governors, and the Heart Rhythm Society, was the president of the middle Tennessee chapter of the AHA, and has been involved with IBHRE since 1994 serving on the Pacing Test Writing Committee. He joined IBHRE's Board of Directors in 2022.
Braden Dinham, BAPPSC, CCDS, CEPS
Queensland Health
Southport, Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Braden Dinham is a practicing cardiac physiologist with Queensland Health. Braden contributes to multiple advisory committees, including those focused on the design of new healthcare facilities and the development of emerging cardiology services. In addition to his clinical and advisory roles, he is actively engaged in education and training, collaborating with various organizations to support the professional development of healthcare practitioners in cardiovascular diagnostics and emergency response. He has served on IBHRE's Device Remote Monitoring Advisory Group since 2019 and co-chairs the test writing committee.
Jay N. Gross, MD, CCDS
Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, NY USA
Dr. Jay Gross is the Director of the Pacemaker Center at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York. He is Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He has been on the IBHRE Pacing Test Writing Committee since 1994 and joined the IBHRE Board of Directors in 2013.
Katsuhiko Imai, MD, PhD
National Hospital Organization Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center
Kure, Hiroshima, JAPAN
Dr. Imai is Director of the Heart Center of National Hospital Organization Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center. He is a board surgeon of cardiovascular surgery and serves as Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of his hospital. Dr. Imai earned his medical degree from Hiroshima University School of Medicine and has been involved in arrhythmia surgery, AF surgery, device therapy using CIED and lead extraction at Hiroshima University Hospital where he serves as a visiting professor. He is a Japanese Heart Rhythm Society Board member and has served on numerous committees and task forces including the Healthcare Insurance Committee, CIED Committee, as well as the Journal of Arrhythmia Editorial Board. For over a decade, Dr. Imai has been on the CDR Certification Committee/IBHRE Japan Test Translation Committee, and was assigned as Chairman in 2022.
Marleen E. Irwin, RCRT, FHRS, CCDS
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB CANADA
Marleen Irwin is currently practicing as a Device Specialist and Clinical Research Associate at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Recognized as a leading expert in the device field, she is widely published and known as a prominent international lecturer. She has served on numerous committees for the Heart Rhythm Society and the Canadian College of Respiratory Therapists. She is also a practicing consultant specialist and director of CardioSys Knowledge Transfer Group Ltd. In 2005, Marleen Irwin received the HRS Distinguished Service Award, and in 2006 received an HRS Fellowship. She has served as a member of the IBHRE Pacing Test Writing Committee since 1985 and has been on the IBHRE Board of Directors since 2006.
Aparna Jaswal, MD, DNB, FACC, FHRS, FESC, CCDS
Fortis Escorts Heart Institute
New Delhi INDIA
Dr. Aparna Jaswal is an Additional Director at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute who completed medical school, her internship and residency with gold medals. She has completed many national and international research projects and was the first Indian resident to earn IBHRE Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (CCDS) credential in September 2007. Dr. Jaswal was also the first electrophysiologist to start an EP program in Mauritius in November 2010 and has earned the following distinctions: Fellow of American College of Cardiology in 2014, FHRS in 2015, Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology and IBHRE Ambassador of the Year in 2017. Along with these accomplishments, she serves as an IBHRE Senior Ambassador, mentoring EP fellows at her hospital and internationally. Dr. Jaswal is also the Joint Secretary of the Indian Heart Rhythm Society.
Nestor Lopez-Cabanillas, MD
Adventist Cardiovascular Institute
Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Dr. Nestor Lopez-Cabanillas is currently the Director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Center at Adventist Cardiovascular Institute of Buenos Aires, Argentina, an interventional electrophysiologist at President Peron Hospital, a professor of electrophysiology at the School of Medicine of La Plata University of Buenos Aires province, president of the Latin American Heart Rhythm Society, and a member of the global committee of the Argentine Society of Cardiology. He is known around the world as an expert in techniques of cardiac resynchronization device implantation. He has made hundreds of presentations in venues ranging from the International Society congress of HRS, EHRA, LAHRS, and APHRS to regional congresses in Latin America. He has been published several times in peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to several international consensus statements. He is a member of several professional societies, including the Heart Rhythm Society, the Argentine Society of Cardiology, and the Latin American Heart Rhythm Society. Dr. Lopez-Cabanillas has been a member of the IBHRE Board of Directors since 2025.
Luke Shanahan, BS, MBA, FHRS, CCDS, CEPS
Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service
Gold Coast, Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Luke Shanahan is the Director of Clinical Measurements-Cardiac Investigations at Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Australia He has been a member of IBHRE's Allied Professional EP test writing committee since 2014 and obtained HRS fellowship in 2016. Luke has a passion for education in cardiac electrophysiology and is a guest lecturer at multiple medical schools in Queensland, Australia. In addition, he has presented and chaired conference sessions at an international level. Luke obtained a Masters in Business Administration in 2016 and is involved in multiple cardiology-related committees and networks.
Elizabeth Stephenson, MD, FHRS, CCDS, CEPS-P
The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, ON, CANADA
Dr. Stephenson is Section Head of Cardiac Electrophysiology at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), where she is a Pediatric Cardiologist. She is also a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. She served as an Associate Editor for HeartRhythm Case Reports from 2015 to 2019, and has served on many Heart Rhythm committees. She has been on the IBHRE Physician EP Test Writing Committee since its inception. Dr. Stephenson's clinical research is focused on several topics in the field of electrophysiology and heart function, particularly as related to pediatric use of pacemakers, cardiac resynchronization therapy, and implantable cardioverter defibrillators. She has been Chair of the SickKids Research Ethics Board since January 2015.
Staff Liaison
Tracy Lofty-Brown, MSA, CAE, ICE-CCP
International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners
Washington, DC USA
Tracy Lofty-Brown is the Chief Executive Officer of the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners in Washington, DC. With more than 20 years of experience in professional development, she previously served as Executive Director for the Commission on Nurse Certification and as Director of Postdoctoral Residency Training Standards and Evaluation for the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park and also Trinity College. In addition, she received a certificate from George Washington University’s School of Business and has earned the Certified Association Executive certification and the Institute for Credentialing Excellence Certified Credentialing Professional certification. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and previously served as an advisor to the Board of Directors for the Clinical Nurse Leaders Association.