Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland – Events
Aortic Dissection Awareness Day UK
Each year, as the national patient association for AD, we award the honour of hosting AD Awareness Day UK to an institution that is recognised by patients as doing excellent work in the field of Aortic Dissection. To date, we have recognised the organisations listed below. We thank them for their important contributions to the field and to the growth and success of Aortic Dissection Awareness Day UK.
Click on an event to browse content and watch session videos from that year’s AD Awareness Day UK. There you can also see the full programmes.
Other Events
Also listed below by year are other notable events to which we contributed.
2023 – Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge
8th Annual Aortic Dissection Awareness Day
Theme: Aortic Dissection: From Treatment to Home
Tuesday 19th September 2023
Hosts: Dr. Stephen Webb, Dr. Bobby Agrawal, Mr. Ravi da Silva, Mr. Shakil Farid
Venue: Heart & Lung Research Institute, Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Click for more details…


2022 – University College London
7th Annual Aortic Dissection Awareness Day
Theme: Engineering the Future of Aortic Surgery
Hosted by UCL at The BMA in London
Hosts: Prof. Vanessa Diaz & Prof. Stavroula Balabani
Venue: BMA House, Tavistock Square, London
Full details on the #ADADUK22 page…


2021 – The Bristol Aortic Service
6th Annual Aortic Dissection Awareness Day
Theme: Responding to the Challenge of Acute Aortic Dissection
Hosts: Dr Emma Redfern, Dr Mark Callaway, Mr Cha Rajakaruna and Mr Marcus Brooks
Sponsors: Terumo Aortic
Venue: M-Shed, Bristol Harbourfront
Full details on the #ADADUK21 page…


2020 – COVID-19 Special Online Edition
5th Annual Aortic Dissection Awareness Day UK
Steve Curry, AD survivor talking about his experience of surviving Aortic Dissection, live on South-East Radio, Wexford, Ireland
Steve Curry and Dr. John Cronin talk about the challenges of diagnosing a life-threatening Aortic Dissection, live on Ireland AM TV during AD Awareness Week in Sept. 2020
The Cardiac COVID Study by St Bartholomew’s Hospital – Prof. Julie Sanders, Ms Tootie Bueser, Cardiac Surgery patient Edward Hyde and Prof Aung Oo. See update here.
What happened since ADADUK19 in Leicester? – An update on our collaborative AD Screening Research programme started at ADAD2019 with the University of Leicester, by Dr. Riccardo Abbasciano
The Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland 2020 annual In Memoriam of those we lost to Aortic Dissection, with Gareth Owens
Diagnosing Aortic Dissection in the Emergency Setting – Dr. Emma Redfern and Prof. Mark Callaway (from ADADUK18)
A short video from Matt Hancock MP, for Aortic Dissection Awareness Day, reiterating the need for awareness, early detection and treatment and including a pledge on government research funding
“Today is a Good Day” – A film on the birth and progress of Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland, which won the 2020 Rare Disease Film Festival UK People’s Choice Award
Your invitation to AD Awareness Day UK 2021 in Bristol by Dr. Emma Redfern and Prof. Mark Callaway of the Bristol Aortic Service


2019 – The University of Leicester, BHF Cardiovascular Sciences Research Centre
4th Annual Aortic Dissection Awareness Day UK
Theme: Imaging, Genetic Testing, Counselling & Research Design
Host: Prof. Gavin Murphy, British Heart Foundation Chair of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Leicester
Sponsors: Terumo Aortic
Patient Story – Ms. Mandy Hawker, Aortic Dissection Survivor (video)
Family Story – Ms. Amy Yasbeck, Hollywood actress, widow of John Ritter and founder of the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health (video)
Keynote address: The Genetics of Aortic Dissection – Dr. Dianna Milewicz*
Imaging in Aortic Dissection – Prof. Mark Callaway (video)
Expert panels: Imaging, Genetic Testing, Counselling & Research Design
Workshops: Imaging, Genetic Testing, Counselling & Research Design
Update on current AD Awareness Projects & Initiatives – Catherine Fowler
Workshop Feedback & Summary
*Keynote Speaker: Dr. Dianna Milewicz, President George H.W. Bush Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine, Director of the Division of Medical Genetics and Vice-Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Dianna is an international authority on the genetics of Aortic Dissection and is Director of the John Ritter Research Programme.


2018 – Barts Health NHS Trust
3rd Annual Aortic Dissection Awareness Day UK
Theme: Caring for the Whole Aorta
Hosts: Mr Harpaul Flora, Mr Sandip Sarkar & Professor Aung Oo
Sponsors: Terumo Aortic & LeMaitre Vascular
Aortic Dissection Awareness Day UK 2018 – Showreel – A short 4 minute film summarising the day
Genetic Factors in Aortic Dissection: Treating the whole family – Dr. Bejal Pandya
Managing Risk Factors for Aortic Dissection: Difficult Blood Pressure – Dr. Mel Lobo
The Surveillance of Aortic Dissection patients – Dr. Kate von Klemperer
My Aortic Dissection Journey – Gareth Owens
Diagnosing Aortic Dissection in the Emergency Setting – Dr. Emma Redfern and Prof. Mark Callaway


2018 – SCTS Glasgow
Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery Plenary Session
A Patient Perspective on Aortic MDTs – Gareth Owens
Enabling Teams to Work Effectively – Dave Thornton
Address as outgoing President of the SCTS – Graham Cooper


2017 – Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital
2nd Annual Aortic Dissection Awareness Day UK
Theme: THINK AORTA
Host: Mr Mark Field
Sponsors: Heart Research UK
Die another day: How to survive an Aortic Dissection – Gareth Owens, AD Survivor & Advocate for Aortic Dissection Awareness
The Heartache and the Madness – Stefan Paudler, Survivor of Aortic Dissection shares his story
Engagement with First Responders: Challenges and Solutions for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of AD – Miss Deborah Harrington
The Importance of Genetic Testing After Aortic Dissection – Dr Victoria McKay
Surgery for Aortic Dissection and the Need for Specialist Teams – Mr Mark Field
How to drive change and improvement in recognition and treatment of AD – Mr Graham Cooper
Research on Aortic Disease and how to get recognition of Aortic Dissection into routine practice – Professor Toru Suzuki
Training, Fellowships, Support Groups and Awareness … Recipe for Success – Mr Omar Nawaytou
Cardiac Rehabilitation and Aortic Dissection Specialist – Nurse Jan Naybor
Aortic Masterclasses, Fellowships and Research – Heart Research UK – Helen Wilson
Q & A session – Mr Mark Field, Mr Graham Cooper, Mr Manoj Kuduvalli


2016 – The Royal Brompton Hospital London
1st Annual Aortic Dissection Awareness Day UK
Theme: Today is a Good Day
Hosts: Professor John Pepper
Sponsors: Heart Research UK
Patient interviews: Today is a Good Day – Aortic Dissection UK Buddies: Dan Burgess, Gareth Owens, Nicola McMeekin, John Greenstreet, Brenda Grunwell, Anne Cotton, Catherine Fowler
Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland is the national patient charity for Aortic Dissection in the UK & Ireland.
Aortic Dissection Awareness Day UK is our flagship national event which happens every 19th September - see our Events page.
THINK AORTA is our life-saving global campaign to improve awareness, diagnosis and prevention of this lethal disease.
Copyright © Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland 2016-2022. All rights reserved
Think Aorta ® is a registered Trade Mark