Dato Robaayah Zambahari
Director, National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Consultant Cardiologist since 1984 until present; Head Cardiology Department 1984–2005; Medical Director, National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur, 2005–2009; Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur, 2009–2014; Director, National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur, 1992 till present.
Recognized as key opinion leader and has been invited as faculty, lecturer/speaker, chairperson, moderator, panellist at meetings in Malaysia, in the ASEAN, Asia Pacific region, and international meetings including the American College of Cardiology, the European Interventional meeting EuroPCR and US Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics.
Dr Robaayah was the Organising Chairperson for the annual Malaysian Cardiovascular Interventional Symposium (Malaysia LIVE) from 2004 till 2011. She was the Organising Chairperson of the 18th Asia Pacific Congress of Cardiology (APCC) in 2011; advisor to the KL Valve Summit (KLVS) Conferences and Universiti Sains Malaysia USM annual Cardiology Updates.
Dr Robaayah was the President of National Heart Association of Malaysia (NHAM) 1992-1996; Founding Member and Board Member of Asia Pacific Society of Atherosclerosis and Vascular Disease APSAVD, 1994; Chairperson of Interventional Cardiovascular Society of Malaysia ICSM (2000-2009); Chairperson of Asian Pacific Society of Interventional Cardiology APSIC (2005-2007); Panel member of National Credentialing Committee for the subspecialty of Cardiology 2007–2011.
Tan Sri Dr Robaayah has been the Chairperson and / or Expert Panel Member for many Malaysian Consensus Guidelines / Clinical Practice Guidelines in Cardiology and cardiology-related conditions. These Guidelines are scientific and evidence-based, for use by doctors and practitioners.
Together with the team in Institut Jantung Negara IJN (National Heart Institute) she has been actively involved in introducing new technologies and advances in cardiovascular in Malaysia, including: (1) First in Malaysia and South East Asia to implant the first Bioresorbable Vascular scaffold 2011; (2) First in Asia Catheter-based Renal Artery Denervation for Resistant Hypertension, 2011; (3) First in Asia Dedicated Bifurcation Drug-eluting stent, Axxess Stent, 2011; (4) Catheter-based Mitral Valve Repair using MitraClip, 2011; (5) first in Asia Pacific Parachute device for Congestive Heart Failure, 2013.
Features and Awards: The Roses of Perak, 2008; Women in Government WiG, 2009; Woman of Substance Award, 2010; CHT Pursuit of Excellence (Medical) Award 2011; “Women of Distinction” award at the Jewel of Perak (Anugerah Mutiara Perak), 2012; ‘Anugerah Maulidur Rasul S.A.W. Peringkat Kebangsaan Tahun 1432H/2011M’; Chien Foundation Lectureship Award 2011; BrandLaureate “Most Eminent Brand Icon” Leadership Award, 2012; Visiting Professor (Research), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, April 2013 to 2015; conferred “Honorary Doctorate in Medical Sciences” by the National University of Malaysia, 2012; ‘Global Leadership Awards 2014, True Awards for Real Leaders’. “Excellence in Specialist Healthcare Services”, 2014;
Under her leadership, IJN was awarded the 2011 Prime Minister Innovation Award, on August 2012.
Qualifications: M.B.B.S University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 1977.
Membership of the Royal College of Physicians MRCP, UK, 1982, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Glasgow FRCP, 1994; Fellow of Royal College of Physicians of London FRCP, 1994; Fellow of American College of Cardiology FACC, 1995; Emeritus Fellow of Asia Pacific Society of Interventional Cardiology FAPSIC, 2006; Fellow of National Heart Association of Malaysia FNHAM, 2007; Fellow of ASEAN Federation of Cardiology FAsCC, 2007, and Fellow of European Society of Cardiology FESC, 2014.