Profile

Education and Training

Dr. Holdright graduated from UCL and UCH, London, in 1984. Her specialist postgraduate training in cardiology was undertaken at The National Heart Hospital, The Royal Brompton Hospital, The London Chest Hospital and UCL Hospitals, London. During her training, Dr. Holdright also undertook a period of research at The National Heart & Lung Institute, London. She is Consultant Cardiologist to the UCL Hospitals, including the Heart Hospital, and has had her own private practice since 1997.

Expertise

Dr. Holdright's practice comprises a broad spectrum of cardiological conditions, and she specialises particularly in the management of ischaemic heart disease, (angina and the prevention of heart attacks), percutaneous coronary intervention (coronary angioplasty and stenting), the investigation of cardiac causes of stroke, the heart:brain interface, management of valvular heart disease, and the treatment of heart failure. She also has a strong interest in the investigation of palpitations, dizzy spells, blackouts, chest pain and breathlessness. Dr. Holdright is especially keen on the assessment of coronary risk in individuals who are not known to have heart disease, but may be more readily disposed to it from a family history or the presence of one or more recognised risk factors. She is a strong advocate of coronary artery calcium scoring for evaluation of cardiac risk.

Dr. Holdright was instrumental in establishing primary angioplasty for the acute management of myocardial infarction (heart attack) at The Heart Hospital in central London. This is one of the recognised Heart Attack Centres in London, providing 24 hour emergency angioplasty for patients with acute myocardial infarction in the Greater London area.

Dr. Holdright is also cardiologist to The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, where she troubleshoots the heart:brain interface. This is a unique position that has given her considerable experience in the management of dizzy spells and blackouts, the assessment of cardiac risk in epilepsy, the investigation and management of cardiac causes of stroke, the effect of neurological and neuromuscular problems on the heart, and the assessment of the cardiac contribution to autonomic dysfunction.

Professional Qualifications

• BSc in Human Genetics (London, First Class Hons), 1981
• MB BS (London) with Distinctions, 1984
• MRCP (UK), 1987
• DA (UK), 1989
• MD (London), 1994
• JCHMT Cardiology (1996)
• CCST (UK) Cardiology (1997)
• FRCP (2000)
• FESC (2000)

Professional Memberships and Affiliations

• British Medical Association
• Royal College of Physicians
• British Cardiovascular Society
• British Cardiovascular Intervention Society
• European Society of Cardiology
• Honorary Senior Lecturer at University College London Medical School

Dr. Holdright is also a member of the Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Disorders of the Cardiovascular System.

Publications

Dr. Holdright has published extensively; she has over 100 peer-reviewed articles, invited articles and abstracts in print. She has also contributed chapters and had books published, both individually and in collaboration with others. Key titles include:

• Gray MA, Taggart P, Sutton PM, Groves D, Holdright DR, Bradbury D, Brull D, Critchley HD. A cortical potential reflecting cardiac function.
  PNAS published April 9 2007.10.1073/pnas.0609509104
• Critchley HD, Taggart P, Sutton PM, Holdright DR, Batchvarov V, Hnatkova K, Malik M, Dolan RJ.
  Mental stress and sudden cardiac death: asymmetric midbrain activity as a linking mechanism.
  Brain 2005;128:75-85
• Rugg-Gunn FJ, Simister RJ, Squirrell M, Holdright DR, Duncan JS.
  Cardiac arrhythmias in focal epilepsy: a prospective long-term study.
  Lancet 2004;364:2212-2219.
• Tutorials in Differential Diagnosis
  Beck ER, Souhami RL, Hanna MG, Holdright DR.
  Churchill Livingstone (revised 2003)
• Brull D & Holdright DR.
  Cerebrovascular disease and the cardiac patient.
  In: Specialist Training in Cardiology, edited by Henry J Purcell & Paul R Kalra Elsevier Mosby, 2005

Teaching and Research

Dr. Holdright was previously the Educational Supervisor in Cardiology to UCLH and she continues to play an active role in teaching and training. She lectures, examines and works with a wide range of clinicians across all specialties, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Dr. Holdright is regularly engaged in research connected with her clinical interests. Current interests include the assessment of risk of sudden death in epilepsy, and methods to limit ischaemia-reperfusion injury at the time of angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction.