Kamel Shibbani, MD, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics-cardiology, is in the Cardiovascular Business 2025 Class of Forty under 40. The honor recognizes individuals making a major impact on cardiovascular health at a young age. 

Shibbani, who completed his residency and fellowship training at the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, developed a passion for research during residency and joined the Physician Scientist Training Pathway (PSTP) as a fellow. That program helped him build bridges at national conferences, including one held by the Society for Pediatric Interventional Cardiology (PICS). He said, “It was through this networking experience that I was able to initially volunteer to help with organizing the conference and eventually be entrusted in becoming a chair of the communications committee.”

The PICS Society advocates globally on behalf of patients with congenital heart disease (present at birth) and on behalf of their entire care team, including nurses, radiology technologists, doctors, and other members of the care team. The society writes evidence-based guidelines for patient care, influences health care policy through objective clinical documents, and organizes a global meeting for interventional cardiologists.

“My goal is to establish the society as the voice of the Congenital Heart Disease interventional community by disseminating consistent and engaging information,” says Shibbani. He is also the associate editor for the PICS Society’s “Tips and Tricks”—a popular series on procedural nuances intended to help spread techniques for performing challenging cases.

UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital cares for patients with those complex heart conditions. “From the smallest of micro-preemies to the most challenging adult congenital heart disease patients, we get to experience it all during fellowship,” says Shibbani. 

Now a faculty member in the UI Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, Shibbani feels at home in Iowa City. “Living in Iowa City is hassle-free. Professionally, the support for junior faculty at the university is outstanding, and the chance to work at a place with tremendous research opportunity and clinical complexity is rare to come by,” Shibbani says. “I’m also an avid soccer player, and there’s no shortage of games on the weekend here!”