Kris Shah, former President of Baylis Medical and a driving force behind one of Canada’s most influential MedTech success stories, joins Dr. Suneet Mittal for a main tent conversation at HRX 2025. Together, they will explore how innovation can be intentionally cultivated—from early-stage ideation to global scale. Drawing from his leadership at Baylis Medical, Kris will share how he created an environment that empowered engineers and clinicians to challenge convention, embraced failure as a learning tool, and ultimately brought disruptive cardiovascular technologies to market. Attendees will gain insight into the strategic, cultural, and operational levers needed to sustain innovation in a highly regulated, risk-averse industry. Whether you’re a founder, physician, or executive, this session offers a blueprint for how to lead boldly and innovate with purpose.

This session explores how AI-driven innovations are transforming atrial fibrillation (AF) management, from prevention to long-term care. Experts will discuss AI-powered digital education, solutions for early intervention, and technology’s role in addressing key risk factors like obesity, sleep apnea, and exercise. Is AI the game-changer in achieving sustainable AF care, or just another trend? Join us to find out.

In this session, we will delve into the evolving landscape of remote monitoring, addressing the increasing challenges associated with managing vast amounts of data collected from wearables, implantables, and external monitoring devices. We will explore the complexities of integrating data across diverse platforms, with a particular focus on overcoming interoperability barriers.

From life-changing interventions to emotional uncertainties, how does cardiac technology shape the journey of children and young adults with arrhythmias? This session explores the evolving role of electrophysiology (EP) in pediatrics, the impact of cutting-edge devices, and the patient experience—balancing fear, hope, and the promise of innovation. Are we maximizing technology’s potential, or is is there more to uncover in improving outcomes and quality of life for young patients?

Inherited arrhythmia syndromes and cardiomyopathies pose a significant clinic challenge, with suboptimal treatment and a large unmet need. Over the last decade several new therapies have been developed which target the underlying genetic and molecular causes of these conditions, and many are progressing from pre-clinical research to clinical trials. These discoveries offer a potential paradigm shift in treatment strategies and quality of life for patients. This panel focused on novel genetic and molecular therapies for inherited arrhythmia syndromes and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies will bring together experts with a broad range of experience including venture capital, clinicians, translational scientists, and biotech. The session will address a wide range of topics from lab discovery to commercialization.

Digital twins offer the promise to develop, test, and validate potential personalized solutions for heart rhythm care that are unique to a given individual and their myocardial substrate. Early studies have been promising. However, there are significant challenges from several different areas including operational, computational, and efficacy. This session will engage in discussing whether digital twins will become a foundational core of EP care or remain a fantasy.

The Top 5 scoring AbstracX Researchers will share their research.

From dictation software to full-blown natural language processing assistants, AI-based documentation tools promise to free clinicians from the tedium of charting. Physician burnout is on the rise—can AI-driven documentation help turn the tide? Strategies for successful change management, physician buy-in, and ongoing system optimization will be highlighted. How do we ensure data accuracy, privacy, and seamless integration into diverse electronic health records? Panelists will discuss the practical implementation of AI-assisted documentation and patient communication, while maintaining patient-centered care.

This session explores how AI integration, EMR advancements, and remote monitoring can enhance physician decision-making, streamline workflows, and improve patient care. Panelists will discuss the impact of AI on billing and physician hours, the role of device-driven insights in heart failure management, and how RNs and APPs contribute to effective communication and data management. Join us for an insightful discussion on leveraging technology to optimize clinical efficiency and patient outcomes.

There is an unprecedented surge in innovation surrounding intracardiac ultrasound and its integration into electrophysiologic care. Future iterations of 4-D intracardiac ultrasound, next-generation integration into mapping systems, and the use of ultrasound for therapeutic purposes all have the potential to significantly change practice. This session will review these key innovations and how they may improve care in the EP laboratory.

With gene therapy advancing rapidly, how do digital innovations accelerate its impact on cardiovascular disease? This session explores the evolution of gene therapy trials, cutting-edge breakthroughs, and the role of AI, big data, and digital platforms in research, patient monitoring, and treatment optimization. Hear from experts and patient advocates as we examine whether technology is the key to making gene therapy more accessible, efficient, and transformative. Are we on the verge of a revolution, or just scratching the surface?

The autonomic nervous system is known to play a critical role in the initiation and/or triggering of many arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation. Autonomic therapies have moved well-beyond isolated ablation of cardiac ganglionated plexi. This session will review the innovations that have expanded autonomic therapies, including tragus stimulation, renal sympathetic denervation, and future innovations for additional interventions.

This session will detail the possibilities, potential technologies, and likely pathways for permanent pacing in the future. Specifically, this session will explore next generation pacing technologies, including but not limited to advances in leadless pacing, micro-devices, new epicardial pacing interventions, pacing for HFpE, and physiologic atrial pacing.

Not all innovation is successful. Many potential innovations fail in the pre-clinical or early testing phases – often for common reasons. This session will discuss the potential pitfalls in device development and how innovators can navigate these challenges with greater confidence by avoiding mistakes and missteps. The panel will discuss their “dream” innovations that didn’t come to fruition – and what they learned.

Innovations in imaging—ranging from real-time 3D/4D echo, advanced CT mapping to cardiac MRI—are reshaping electrophysiology. This session explores how novel visualization tools and AI-powered image processing can guide complex procedures while improving patient safety and outcomes. 

Catheter ablation has become the dominant form of therapeutic intervention for cardiac arrhythmias. However, preclinical development of new antiarrhythmic drugs is very robust. These new molecular entities are not limited to antagonism of membrane active ion channels, but target additional mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis. These drugs, their targets, and their potential ability to improve and disrupt current care paradigms will be reviewed in this session.

EP Collaboratory to share efforts between industry and early stage companies to promote EFS within the US to increase patient access to new technologies and to support device innovation.

Self-driving cars, remote control of drones, and self-navigating planes are all current realities. However, mapping and ablation of cardiac arrhythmias is a completely human and labor-intensive endeavor, despite many advances over the years. This session will discuss the key barriers and potential solutions that may enable remote control of mapping and ablation as well as semi-autonomous systems for mapping and ablation.

This session will highlight the challenges, current best practices, and how innovation will impact regulatory science, with a focus on first-in-human device trials. The session will highlight shared and unique challenges in different regions of the world, including Asia, Europe, and North America. Attendees will be armed with a better understanding of the key barriers and facilitators for successful first-in-human trials.

A moderated AbstracX presentation session with 4 AbstracX presenters.

By the time of HRX 2025, pulsed field ablation will have been clinically available in the US for more than a year and a half. While first-gen systems have brought notable changes to EP, these first-generation systems only represent the very beginning of PFA. This session will focus on discussion of the key developments and advances for next generation PFA technologies, including advances in pulse sequences, catheter design, integration with electroanatomic mapping, and patient- and anatomic-specific custom lesion formation.

As healthcare shifts toward proactive interventions, AI holds the promise of detecting heart failure before overt symptoms appear. In this session, experts will discuss how machine learning and big-data analytics can arm clinicians with real-time insights to intervene at the earliest sign of HF decompensation. Attendees will gain an understanding of predictive models, novel monitoring tools, and the challenges involved in implementing such technologies on a broad scale.

A moderated AbstracX presentation session with 4 AbstracX presenters.

This session will explore cutting-edge approaches to patient education, focusing on the integration of digital tools and interactive platforms. Participants will gain insights into the latest best practices for educating patients and healthcare professionals, enhancing engagement, understanding, and overall patient outcomes.

A moderated AbstracX presentation session with 4 AbstracX presenters.

We will discuss key issues surrounding interoperability and integration, exploring innovative solutions for seamless data flow across multiple monitoring systems. Additionally, we will evaluate the role of AI to support clinical decision-making, enhancing both patient outcomes and operational efficiency. Join us to explore the future of remote monitoring and data management, and how innovations in this field are shaping the future of healthcare