Dr. Mirjana Cvetkovic | Health Professions | Best Researcher Award

Consultant CICI and MCS from Great Ormond Street Hospital | United Kingdom

Dr. Mirjana Cvetkovic is an internationally recognised Consultant in Paediatric Cardiac Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), United Kingdom. With over two decades of clinical and academic experience, she has made significant contributions to paediatric critical care, medical simulation, and global health. She has a strong background in ECMO management, perioperative care for children with complex congenital heart diseases, and multidisciplinary education. Her leadership roles include Educational Lead at the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at GOSH, Honorary Lecturer at University College London, and member of the EuroELSO Scientific Committee. Dr. Cvetkovic has pioneered innovative simulation-based training, web-based educational platforms, and advanced perioperative clinical pathways, notably the MIRACCLE initiative. She is deeply committed to humanitarian medical work, having led capacity-building projects for paediatric cardiac care in low-resource settings across Africa and Asia. Her research integrates virtual reality, advanced simulation, and multidisciplinary cardiothoracic education. A prolific educator and active member of numerous professional societies, she continues to shape the next generation of paediatric cardiac specialists. Her career is marked by a commitment to improving patient outcomes, fostering international collaboration, and advancing the science and practice of paediatric cardiac intensive care.

Professional Profile

Scopus Profile | ORCID Profile

Education

Dr. Cvetkovic earned her Medical Doctor degree from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, followed by specialty education in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care accredited by Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed, Copenhagen. She achieved her MRCP in Anaesthesia from the Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK completed equivalence to GRID training in Paediatric Intensive Care at GOSH. She further specialised under the Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (SSAI), undertaking subspecialty training in paediatric and adult anaesthesia and intensive care across Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. She completed a prestigious fellowship in ECMO and Paediatric Cardiac Intensive Care at GOSH. Her academic journey also includes advanced simulation instructor certifications from the University of Copenhagen (CAMES) and Harvard University, Boston. This rigorous and diverse training framework has equipped her with cutting-edge skills in paediatric cardiac anaesthesia, intensive care, simulation-based education, and global health programme design, enabling her to lead transformative initiatives in clinical and educational domains worldwide.

Professional Experience

Dr. Cvetkovic’s career spans multiple leadership and clinical roles in leading healthcare institutions. She has served as Consultant Paediatric Cardiac Anaesthetist and Intensivist at GOSH, where she provides perioperative care and intensive management for children undergoing complex cardiac surgery. She is also an Honorary Lecturer at University College London, actively contributing to the Institute for Cardiovascular Science. Her earlier appointments include Consultant roles at University Hospitals of Leicester, UK, and Locum Consultant in Paediatric Cardiac Anaesthesia at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. She has held senior fellowships in paediatric intensive care, neonatal care, and ECMO at GOSH and previously worked extensively in Denmark as a Junior Consultant, Specialty Registrar, and Anaesthetist. Dr. Cvetkovic has developed and led major simulation training programmes for multidisciplinary teams, spearheaded international ECMO education at EuroELSO and ESPNIC conferences, and created fast-track surgical recovery pathways. Her global impact extends to humanitarian missions, where she has strengthened paediatric cardiac services in developing countries through structured training, simplified protocols, and team-based education, making her a recognised leader in both clinical excellence and global health advancement.

Research Interests

Dr. Cvetkovic’s research interests focus on paediatric cardiac anaesthesia, intensive care protocols, and extracorporeal life support (ECMO), with a strong emphasis on simulation-based training and education. She is particularly engaged in developing and integrating virtual reality and 3D printing technologies into clinical training for cardiothoracic teams. Her work also explores fast-track recovery pathways for paediatric cardiac surgery, advanced perioperative pain management strategies, and multidisciplinary protocols to enhance patient safety and outcomes. International collaboration is central to her research, as reflected in her MIRACCLE platform, which facilitates knowledge-sharing among global paediatric cardiology and intensive care communities. She contributes to projects aimed at optimising resuscitation courses, improving inter-hospital transport safety, and developing advanced educational models for ECMO and critical care emergencies. Through partnerships with organisations like EuroELSO and ESPNIC, Dr. Cvetkovic is advancing research that bridges cutting-edge medical technology with hands-on clinical application, ensuring that innovations are not only scientifically sound but also feasible for real-world implementation, including in low-resource healthcare systems.

Research Skills

Dr. Cvetkovic possesses a wide range of research and educational skills, integrating clinical expertise with advanced training methodologies. She is proficient in simulation-based research, designing and leading large-scale multidisciplinary training programmes for paediatric cardiac and intensive care teams. Her skills include curriculum development, virtual and augmented reality integration, and educational platform creation (e.g., MIRACCLE). She is experienced in ECMO education, paediatric transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) training, and developing specialised protocols for perioperative care and cardiac ICU management. She has contributed to international conference workshops, peer-reviewed publications, and collaborative research studies in Scopus and other indexed journals. Her humanitarian project skills include capacity-building strategies, protocol standardisation, and team-training in low-resource settings. She is adept at using structured educational tools like the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist, SAFE communication, and SCAMPs. Dr. Cvetkovic’s ability to combine clinical precision with innovative teaching techniques makes her a highly effective research leader and educator, capable of translating complex clinical concepts into practical, scalable solutions.

Awards and Honours

Dr. Cvetkovic has earned recognition for her exceptional contributions to paediatric cardiac anaesthesia, intensive care, and medical simulation on both national and international platforms. As a EuroELSO Scientific Committee Member, she has influenced the global ECMO education agenda and been invited to lead major simulation-based workshops at EuroELSO, ESPNIC, and EAPS conferences. She has received formal commendations for her humanitarian work in Africa and Asia, where her leadership in establishing sustainable paediatric cardiac units has had lasting health impacts. Her role as an Honorary Lecturer at University College London acknowledges her academic influence, while invitations to deliver lectures and training across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa demonstrate her global standing. Certification as an Advanced Medical Simulation Instructor by Harvard University and the University of Copenhagen further underscores her excellence in clinical education. She is an active member of leading professional societies including ESPA, SPA, EACTA, SCA, AMEE, IPSS, ESPNIC, DASAIM, and PICS, reflecting her respected status in the field. Her career achievements reflect not only her clinical expertise but also her dedication to global health education and research innovation.

Publication Top Notes

• “Bridging Europe” advancing Education: The 12th Educational Corner at EuroELSO 2024 conference in Krakow, Poland — 2025

• “Bridging the Gap” international ECLS training and simulation – evaluation of the 10th educational corner on EuroELSO congress 2022 in London, United Kingdom — 2023

• Clinical Guidelines for Routine Neuromonitoring in Neonatal and Pediatric Patients Supported on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation — 2023

• Long-Term Quality of Life in Congenital Heart Disease Surgical Survivors: Multicenter Retrospective Study of Surgical and ICU Explanatory Factors — 2023

• Pulmonary Endarterectomy for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension in a 5-year-old Girl with No Risk Factors — 2022

• Results of EuroELSO Neurological Monitoring and Neurodevelopmental Outcome Survey — 2021

• Challenges in Paediatric Cardiac Anaesthesia in Developing Countries — 2018

• Comparison of Early Outcomes for Normothermic and Hypothermic Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Children Undergoing Congenital Heart Surgery — 2018

• Brain monitoring in adult and paediatric ECMO patients: the importance of early and late assessments — 2017

• Real-life use of vasopressors and inotropes in cardiogenic shock-observation is necessarily ‘theory-laden’ — 2016

Conclusion

Dr. Mirjana Cvetkovic is a distinguished clinician, educator, and researcher whose work has transformed paediatric cardiac anaesthesia and intensive care practices worldwide. At Great Ormond Street Hospital, she combines high-level clinical expertise with pioneering educational initiatives that have set new benchmarks in simulation-based medical training. Her MIRACCLE platform and advanced multidisciplinary programmes have significantly improved knowledge exchange in cardiothoracic care. Beyond her institutional role, her humanitarian missions have established sustainable paediatric cardiac services in resource-limited settings, directly impacting countless young lives. Her research seamlessly integrates innovative technologies such as virtual reality and 3D printing with real-world clinical application, contributing to safer, more efficient care pathways. Actively engaged in global collaborations, she influences medical education and practice at an international scale. With her combination of technical skill, academic leadership, and humanitarian dedication, Dr. Cvetkovic exemplifies the qualities of a world-class medical professional and is exceptionally deserving of recognition for her contributions to health professions research and service.