In 1983, the Italian Society of Sports Cardiology (SIC Sport) was founded by Antonio Venerando in Rome and I was one of the 12 founding Members.

Since 1983 I actively participated as a honorary Fellow to the scientific life of the SIC Sport, either as lecturer in the National Meetings, or faculty member in the educational courses that the society organizes periodically in Italy.

1983-2013. Over this long-term period, I have been involved as scientific advisor in the organization of most educational and scientific events that the SIC Sport shares with other scientific societies in Italy.

In 2013 I was elected as Deputy-President of the Italian Society of Sport Cardiology.

In 2015 elected President of Italian Society of Sport Cardiology. As President, I claimed the main aim of the Society for the next period to be the revision of the COCIS, the Italian Guidelines for Competitive Sport Participation in Athletes with CV Diseases.

In 2016-17, I managed the organization of the working groups to revise the Italian Guidelines for Competitive Sport Participation in Athletes with CV Diseases (COCIS).

In the same period, I contributed to revise the scientific program and organized faculty participation of the experts in the major congresses and meetings organized in Italy by the cardiology scientific societies (SIC, ANCE, ARCA)

2017. I was the chair of the revised 2017 Edition of the COCIS (Italian Guidelines to Competitive Sport Participation) eventually released on September 28^th, 2017.

2017, 28-30 September. I organized the XVIII Congress of the Italian Society of Sport Cardiology, in Rome, Centro Giulio Onesti.

2018 to present. As Past-President I contributed actively to the strategic decisions of the Society and made a substantial impact on preparation of the scientific program for the biannual congress of the Society.

2019. I was delegated by the SIC Sport Board to represent the Society in the context of international relationship with other Scientific Societies active in the area of Exercise, Sport and CV diseases.

2020. I represented the expertise of the SIC Sport in the compilation and release of the 2020 ESC Guidelines on Sport Cardiology.

2021-23. I was delegated by the SIC Sport Board to represent the Society to revise the Italian Guidelines for Competitive Sport Participation in Athletes with CV Diseases (COCIS 2023).

2023. Revision and release of the cardiomyopathy section of the Italian Guidelines for Competitive Sport Participation in Athletes with CV Diseases (COCIS 2023).

• Since 2004, I have been involved in the scientific life of the EAPC (former EACPR), by participating actively to the constitution of the Sport Cardiology section.

• During the first period of my presence (2004-2006), I organized the working groups of the Sport Cardiology Section with the aim to write the first European document for management and eligibility to competitive sports in athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities (Eur Heart J. 2005;26:1422-45). In the same period, I contributed with Domenico Corrado to write the first European document relative to the protocol for cardiovascular screening of competitive athletes (Eur Heart J. 2005; 26:516-24), which represented the trigger for the wide implementation of the screening strategy for prevention of sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

• In 2006 I become the Chairman of the Sport Cardiology. I have been actively involved in the scientific life of the Sport Cardiology section by organizing the writing groups for an extended version of the Recommendations for participation in competitive sport and leisure-time physical activity in individuals with cardiac disease, that were published in successive issues of the Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. in 2006;

• After 2008, as past-chairman and still elected Nucleus member, I participated actively to the life of the Sport Cardiology Section, acting as advisor and supporting the major scientific initiatives.

• Since 2009 as a member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission, I had the opportunity to promote and sustain our strategy in cooperation with the EACPR and the IOC organizations. This prompted the large implementation of pre-participation screening and the inclusion of several topics of cardiology in the meetings and courses organized by both the EACPR and IOC.

• Since 2010 I have participated to the activity of the Science and Guidelines Committee for revision of papers and statement of the sections before their endorsement by the EACPR.

• Since 2004 I have contributed as Reviewer and as Author to the life of the former EACPR Journal (now European Journal of Preventive Cardiology).

• In 2011 nominated President-elect of the EACPR

• In 2012 and 2013 actively involved in the Executive Board meetings and delegations to represent the EACPR. On active preparation for the 2014 position of President of the EACPR.

• In 2014 I became President of the EACPR. In this role, I have focused on the scientific activity of the EACPR, by promoting position papers in collaboration with the other ESC Associations on indication and interpretation of imaging techniques in athletes; Prevention of atrial fibrillation in senior athletes; Critical appraisal of the preparticipation CV screening in athletes. I also promoted the first Textbook of Sport Cardiology, edited by the ESC.

• In 2015 as President I supervised and coordinated the program of Europrevent 2015, the annual congress of the Association. I also coordinated the overall organization and functioning of the Association, contributing to restore the financial balance of the EACPR.

• In 2016 as President I guided the process of relocation of Europrevent 2016 from Istanbul to the European Heart House and coordinated the revised scientific program. During this period a formal agreement was signed by the industries to support the “Prevention of CV disease” program, which substantially increased the financial assets of the Association.

• 2014-16. During the overall Presidency period, highly recognized achievements included:

Change of EACPR Mission statement to include Cardiovascular Health, primary and secondary prevention. (May 2015); launch of a new EACPR membership scheme, designed to be both inclusive for the whole cardiovascular community, whilst providing additional benefits and services for each level (Regular, Ivory & Silver); launch of the community of young preventive cardiologists within the EACPR, launch of the “Viviane Conraads” Outstanding Achievement Award for scientists in the field of preventive cardiology.

• The scientific activity during the Presidency period saw the finalization of relevant papers, including:

• 6th Joint European Guidelines on CVD Prevention in Clinical Practice (publication in 2016);

• ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 3rd Ed (eventually published in 2018) with two sections. “Sport and the Heart” and “Prevention in CVD and Rehabilitation”;

• the ESC Textbook of Sports Cardiology, the first comprehensive textbook of Sport Cardiology (eventually published in 2019);

• Position paper “Pre-participation cardiovascular evaluation for athletic participants to prevent sudden death”, in cooperation with the EHRA (published 2016);

• Position paper “How to Prevent Atrial Fibrillation” in cooperation with the EHRA (published 2016);

• Position paper “Indication and interpretation of cardiovascular imaging in the evaluation of athlete’s heart”, in cooperation with the EACVI (eventually published in 2018),

• 1st Update of the Position paper “EACPR/AHA Joint Scientific Paper Statement, Clinical Recommendation for Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Data Assessment in Specific Patient Population.

• September 1^st, 2016. I was the organizer and lecturer of the “2nd EACPR course on Sport Cardiology” held in Rome, at the Institute of Sport Medicine and Science.

• August 30-31, 2017. Organizer and lecturer of the “3d EAPC course on Sport Cardiology” Barcelona.

• 2018- present. I have been an invited Lecturer of the EAPC courses on Sport Cardiology held in the context of the ESC annual meeting.

• Invited Lecturer and Chairman at the 2020, 2021 and 2022 and 2023 Congresses.

Other positions within the European Society of Cardiology:

• In the period 2016-18 I have also served in the Nominating Committee, as member designated by the EAPC. This experience was particularly rewarding in terms of consolidating my knowledge of the regulations and functioning of the ESC constituent bodies. Moreover, this was a unique experience for personal contacts and experience exchanges with the professionals serving in the changing ESC boards.

• In the same period, I was honoured to be a member of the CPC. I was confronting with a large community of scientists to organize the scientific program for the congress. While I was prone to give visibility to the sport cardiology topics, I was keen to promote the contribution and give visibility to young scientists, including a large proportion of women colleagues.

• From 2017 to present I’m member of the SACC. I’m working in this committee to evaluate the proposal of educational events primarily in the field of exercise, sport and preventive cardiology.

• From the 2020 to present: Elected member of the Audit Committee of the ESC. I’m working in this committee to evaluate and advise the ESC governance regarding financial assets and strategies.

• Since 2009, I have been involved with the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission, initially as consultant expert and subsequently as member.

• In 2009 I was active member of the appointed panel of experts that prompted the IOC endorsement for the periodic evaluation of Olympic athletes to prevent health injuries and cardiac events. The consensus statement was eventually approved by the IOC as “The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus Statement on Periodic Health Evaluation of Elite Athletes” (Br J Sports Med. 200; Sep;43(9):631-43 and Clin J Sport Med 2009;19:347–365). This document represents a milestone in the cultural pathway of the Sport Cardiology, by endorsing the cardiovascular screening model originally proposed by the Sport Cardiology Section of the EACPR.

• As a member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission, I participated to the meetings and gave my advices for organization of scientific events and educational courses. To notice, my participation as lecturer to the “Advanced Course for Team Physicians” held at the Stanford University in June, 25-27^th, 2009.

• In April 6-9^th, 2011 I was invited to give the introductory key-note lecture to the IOC World Conference on “Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport” organized in Monte Carlo, with the title of “Sudden cardiac death in athletes”

• In September 8^th, 2011 I organized and chaired the 1^st Course on “ECG interpretation in athletes” for team and NOCs physicians, held in the IOC headquarters in Lausanne.

• In August 2012, during the Olympic Games, I organized a teaching course focused on the ECG implementation in screening elite athletes, attended by the team physicians participating at the Olympic Games.

• In October 18^th, 2013 I was the organizer and lecturer of the “2^nd IOC course on PHE and Imaging testing” held in the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, and attended by the team physicians of the NOCs and IFs.

• In June 6-7 2014, I was the organizer and lecturer of the “3rd IOC course on PHE and Imaging testing” held in Rome, at the Institute of Sport Medicine and Science.

• In 2015, I organized the “4th IOC course on PHE and sport cardiology” held in Buenos Aires, in collaboration with the Argentinian NOC and Argentinian Society of Cardiology.

• 2016, March 24. Nominated Member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission.

• November 27-29, 2016. I was the organizer and lecturer of the “5th IOC course on Sport Cardiology” held in Beograd, in cooperation with the Serbian National Olympic Committee.

• November 18, 2017. I was the organizer and lecturer of the “6^th IOC Course on Sport Cardiology” held in Rome, in cooperation with the Italian National Olympic Committee.

• October 26,27, 2018. I was the organizer and lecturer of the “7^th IOC Course on Sport Cardiology” held in Rome, in cooperation with the Italian National Olympic Committee.

• July 4, 5^th, 2019. I was the organizer and lecturer of the “8^th IOC Course on Sport Cardiology” held in Tokyo.

• October 1-2. 2020. I organized the “9^th IOC Course on Sport Cardiology” that was scheduled in Budapest but cancelled because of the Covid-19.

• November 3-5, 2021. I was the organizer and lecturer of the “10^th IOC Course on Sport Cardiology” held in Istanbul, in cooperation with the Turkish Olympic Committee.

• November 10-11, 2023. Program Director and Lecturer of the “12th IOC Course on Sport Cardiology” held in Medellin, Colombia, organized by the International Olympic Committee

Since 1980, Fellow member of the Italian Federation of Sports Medicine.

Since 1983, Founding Member and Fellow of the Italian Society of Sports Cardiology. 

Since 1986, Member and, since 1994, Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.

1999-2000 Member of the working group of the World Heart Federation, the International  Federation of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association Committee on Exercise, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention for evaluation of the preparticipation cardiovascular screening in master athletes.

2006-2008. Chairman of the Sports Cardiology Section of the European Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology. 

2012. President–elect of the European Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology.

2012. Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology

2013. Deputy-President of the Italian Society of Sport Cardiology. 

2014- 2016. President, European Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology.

2015 -2017 President of the Italian Society of Sport Cardiology.

2016 -18 Member of the CPC and Nominating Committee of the European Society of Cardiology

2017-20 Member of the SACC Committee of the European Society of Cardiology

2020 to present Member of the Audit Committee of the European Society of Cardiology