Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis and management of many cardiac diseases has been established in clinical practice. It provides anatomic and functional information and is the most precise technique for quantification of ventricular volume, function and mass. Among cardiac MRI sequences used in clinical practice, delayed contrast enhancement is an accurate and reliable method used in the diagnosis of ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathies. In addition, new technology applied in echocardiographic imaging has permitted quantification of myocardial deformations with 2-dimensional strain imaging (longitudinal, circumferential and radial strain). Cardiac MRI and echocardiography therefore both play a crucial role in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Di Bella and colleagues have defined the roles of cardiac MRI and echocardiography in many clinical and experimental settings.

Dr. Gianluca Di Bella (Figure 1) is a Professor of Cardiology and researcher in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Messina, Italy. He received his first class degree in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Messina in 2001. He was certified as a specialist in cardiovascular disease at the University of Messina in 2005. He pursued graduate work on the application of cardiac magnetic resonance in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) laboratory at the Clinical Physiology Institute (CNR), Pisa, Italy under Dr. Lombardi M in 2004-2005. He received training in the application of cardiac magnetic resonance and computed tomography in the Radiological Department of the University Hospital of Leuven (Belgium) under Prof. Dr. Bogaert J in 2007. He received PhD qualification in “methodologies and techniques of cardiovascular imaging” at the University of Messina, Italy in 2009. His research has been supported by research grant and fellowship awards from the Italian Society of Cardiology since 2004. As an independent investigator, he received the young researcher award from the Italian Society of Cardiology in 2006 and 2008. He is a reviewer for international journals and plays a key role in the Italian Society of Cardiology (e.g. vice-chairman of the cardiac MRI working group) and Italian Society of Echocardiography (e.g. member of the task force on integrated cardiac imaging).

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Figure 1 Gianluca Di Bella, MD, PhD, Clinical and Experimental Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Messina, via Consolare Valeria N 1, CAP 98100, Messina, Italy.

Over recent years, Dr. Di Bella’s research group has investigated cardiovascular diseases using cardiac MRI and strain echocardiography. An integrated approach with MRI and echocardiography provides an excellent and useful tool that permits identification of the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Di Bella’s research has permitted identification of the relationship between myocardial damage and deformation in acute myocarditis[1-6]. Furthermore, Dr. Di Bella’s research has included the study of clinical signs of heart failure, systolic function and cardiomyopathies[7-17].

Another focus of Dr. Di Bella’s research has been on cardiac imaging in patients with myocardial infarction[18-32], heart valve disease[33,34], atrial septal defect[35] and congenital anomalies[36-38]. He has authored papers on the correlation between percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) time and acute myocardial damage during ST elevation myocardial infarction[18], the relation between Q waves and scar tissue[20], the evidence that obese patients have less scar tissue than patients without obesity (obesity paradox)[22] and the correlation between scar tissue and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia[23]. Recently, he identified early MRI signs in patients with cardiac amyloidosis[39].

The following highlight Dr. Di Bella’s contributions in the field of cardiac imaging, diagnosis and pathophysiology of cardiac diseases.

Cardiac imaging has greatly modified the diagnostic process with noninvasive, rapid and accurate diagnosis of cardiac diseases. Echocardiography is the first step of cardiac imaging while an appropriate use of cardiac MRI is mandatory for identification of the substrate of many diseases. Overall, Dr. Di Bella’s research has contributed to a better understanding of the role of strain echocardiography and cardiac MRI in clinical practice.