Special Interview with Prof. Peter J. Schwartz - Journal of Translational Genetics and Genomics

On September 27, 2022, the Editorial Office of Journal of Translational Genetics and Genomics (JTGG, Online ISSN: 2578-5281) had the honor to interview Prof. Peter J. Schwartz from the Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias of Genetic Origin and Laboratory of Cardiovascular Genetics, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.

As an academic pioneer in the field of the long QT syndrome, Prof. Schwartz shared his perspective on the long QT syndrome and his research experience. Prof. Schwartz also talked about the focus of his team's current research, namely the long QT syndrome gene variants, which can increase or decrease the clinical impact of mutations. In addition, he shared two of his most significant research experiences, including solving a rare case as a young researcher in 1970 and an interesting experience of studying gene variants with his colleagues in South Africa. Finally, he shared some of his insights on applying for important financial support. He stressed the importance and innovation of projects; that is, the direction of research should break through new research barriers, not just follow in the footsteps of previous research.

Interviewee introduction:

Prof. Peter J. Schwartz is the Director of the Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias of Genetic Origin and Laboratory of Cardiovascular Genetics at the Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Extraordinary Professor in Internal Medicine at the University of Stellenbosch, and Honorary Professor in the Department of Medicine and member of the Scientific Board of the Cape Heart Institute of the University of Cape Town, South Africa. From 1995 to 2013, he was Professor and Chairman of Cardiology at the University of Pavia, Italy.
His major areas of expertise are the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and life-threatening arrhythmias, the long QT syndrome (LQTS), and risk stratification for sudden death. Also, he investigated the correlation between prolonged QT interval and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and provided the first demonstration of its molecular link with LQTS. Additionally, he provided the first evidence that a cardiac ion channel mutation may underlie drug-induced QT prolongation and torsades des pointes. He received numerous prestigious awards, the latest being the “Fondation Lefoulon-Delalande-Institut de France Grand Prix Scientifique” (2019) which, for cardiovascular medicine, is regarded as the highest award second only to the Nobel Prize. Prof. Schwartz is the only European investigator who has been receiving uninterrupted funding for his research activity from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA since 1974. He has authored almost 1,600 publications and his current h-index is 134 (Scopus).

The Editorial Office of JTGG will continue to release more special interview series and build a multi-channel communication platform for more scholars in genetics.

Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office
Journal of Translational Genetics and Genomics