Faiez Zannad

Professor Emeritus; Founder and Chairman of CVCT Société Civile

University of Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-Les-Nancy, FR

Biography

Prof Faiez Zannad was born in Monastir, Tunisia in 1951 and later moved to pursue his medical education and research in Europe. He trained in cardiology and pharmacology across institutions in France and the United Kingdom, including Nancy, Lyon, and Oxford. Over the course of his career, he has lived and worked primarily in Nancy, France, where he has held clinical, academic, and research leadership roles in cardiovascular medicine and therapeutics.

Academic History

Prof Zannad earned his MD in cardiology from the Faculté de Médecine de Nancy and further trained as a research fellow in clinical pharmacology at the Medical Research Council in Oxford. He later received a PhD in cardiovascular clinical pharmacology from the University of Lyon. During his academic training, he focused on cardiovascular pharmacology, physiology, and therapeutic innovation, laying the foundation for his lifelong work in heart failure and hypertension research.

Following his doctoral training, Prof Zannad took on progressive academic appointments, becoming Professor of Therapeutics and Cardiology at the Université de Lorraine and eventually Professor Emeritus. His academic roles have included leading the Clinical Investigation Centre (Inserm–CHU) in Nancy and mentoring generations of clinical scientists and cardiology trainees.

Career Overview

After completing his clinical and research training, Prof Zannad joined the Academic Hospital (CHU) in Nancy, France, where he became Head of the Division of Heart Failure, Hypertension, and Preventive Cardiology and Director of the Inserm Clinical Investigation Centre. In these roles he has overseen innovative clinical research programs and contributed to major advances in heart failure care.

Prof Zannad has been a longstanding leader within the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), serving as Chairman of the ESC Working Group on Pharmacology and Drug Therapy and as a Board Member of the ESC Heart Failure Association. He also served as President of the French Society of Hypertension and has played key roles in shaping cardiovascular clinical practice and research standards internationally.

He is widely recognized as a pioneer in clinical cardiovascular trials, including foundational studies of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and other pharmacotherapies for heart failure. Additionally, he chairs and organizes annual international meetings on cardiovascular clinical trials and biomarkers in heart failure, bringing together regulators, academics, and industry experts.

Career Timeline

1979: Received MD in cardiology from Faculté de Médecine de Nancy
1981: Completed research fellowship in clinical pharmacology at the University of Oxford
1986: Completed PhD in cardiovascular clinical pharmacology at the University of Lyon
1995: Appointed Director of the Inserm Clinical Investigation Centre, CHU Nancy
2007–2008: Served as President of the French Society of Hypertension
2008–2010: Served as Chairman of the ESC Working Group on Pharmacology and Drug Therapy
2014: Received the European Society of Hypertension Paul Milliez Award
2017: Received the ESC Heart Failure Association Lifetime Achievement Award
2019: Named Eugene Braunwald Scholar at Harvard Medical School
Current: Serves as Emeritus Professor and continues to contribute globally to cardiovascular clinical trial science

Recognition

Prof Zannad is recognized globally for his contributions to cardiovascular therapeutics, including evidence-based drug therapy for heart failure and hypertension. His honors include the European Society of Hypertension Paul Milliez Award, the ESC Heart Failure Association Lifetime Achievement Award, and recognition as an Eugene Braunwald Scholar. He is widely published in cardiovascular research and has contributed to hundreds of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.

Areas of Speciality / Focus

Heart Failure Therapeutics
Clinical Pharmacology in Cardiovascular Disease
Hypertension and Preventive Cardiology
Biomarkers and Fibrosis in Heart Failure
Design and Methodology of Cardiovascular Clinical Trials
Translational and Evidence-Based Medicine