Past events
An overview of the Balkan congresses on cardiovascular magnetic resonance held to date and other professional activities of the Society — from the first congress in 2019 to the present day.
Third Balkan Congress on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
Following the outstanding success of the First and Second Balkan Congresses, the tradition continued with the Third Balkan Congress on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance – CMR Forum 2025, held from 3 to 5 June 2025 at the Hotel Fontana in Vrnjačka Banja, organised by the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. The relocation of the Congress to Vrnjačka Banja opened a new chapter in its development, marked by the further strengthening of international cooperation and the confirmation of its status as one of the most significant professional meetings in the field of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in this part of Europe.
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The Congress was officially opened by Prof. Dr Marija Zdravković, founder of the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and founder of the Balkan Congress on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. In her address, she emphasised the importance of continuous education, the development of new cardiovascular magnetic resonance centres and connecting experts from the region with leading European and international centres, continuing the mission begun in 2019.
The co-chairs of the Third Balkan Congress were Dr Maja Popović, radiologist and president of the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance; Prof. Dr Robin Nijveldt, former vice-president of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) and professor at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands; and Prof. Dr Marija Zdravković, one of the leading experts in cardiovascular magnetic resonance in Serbia and the region.
The Third Balkan Congress brought together more than 250 participants, as well as more than 100 speakers and moderators, who took part in 20 scientific sessions. The Congress was attended by experts from Serbia, Republika Srpska, North Macedonia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as eminent speakers from leading cardiovascular imaging centres in Western Europe and North America, including New York. This international composition of participants once again confirmed that the Balkan Congress has become a recognised scientific meeting with a significant international reputation.
The scientific programme covered the most current topics in the field of cardiovascular magnetic resonance, including ischaemic heart disease, cardiomyopathies, heart failure, inflammatory diseases of the myocardium and pericardium, valvular heart disease, congenital heart defects, cardio-oncology, sports cardiology and the application of modern myocardial mapping techniques. Particular emphasis was placed on the practical application of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in complex clinical decision-making and on a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Two interactive case-based workshops were organised during the Congress – an echocardiography workshop and a cardiovascular magnetic resonance workshop. The workshops enabled participants to discuss diagnostic dilemmas, modern methods of interpreting findings and optimal therapeutic approaches through practical examples, representing a significant step forward in the educational concept of the Congress.
At the close of the Congress, the Fourth Balkan Congress on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance was announced, to be held on 10 and 11 September 2026 at the Hotel Moskva in Belgrade.
Participation in other professional meetings
In addition to organising the Balkan Congresses on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance actively takes part in other significant national and international professional meetings. It makes a particular contribution through the organisation of joint scientific sessions within the Conference of the Serbian Medical Diaspora, one of the largest international medical meetings in Serbia, which brings together physicians from Serbia and abroad to exchange knowledge and experience and to strengthen international cooperation. These sessions have presented the latest advances in the field of cardiovascular magnetic resonance, with the participation of leading national and international experts, further confirming the Society's recognition and its importance in the development of modern cardiovascular imaging in Serbia and the region.
In recent years, members of the Society have also been actively involved in the programme of the Spring Cardiology Workshop, through expert lectures and hands-on workshops dedicated to cardiovascular magnetic resonance. In this way, they contribute to the continuous education of cardiologists, radiologists and other healthcare professionals, presenting modern diagnostic protocols, clinical applications and the latest advances in the field of cardiac magnetic resonance.
Second Balkan Congress on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
Following the outstanding success of the First Balkan Congress held in 2019, the Second Balkan Congress on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance took place on 7 and 8 June 2022 in Belgrade, organised by the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. The Congress was held at the Hilton Hotel and represented a continuation of the mission begun with the first congress – for Serbia to become a regional centre in the field of cardiovascular magnetic resonance.
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The Second Balkan Congress is of particular value given that it was held in June 2022, at a time when the world was still significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite numerous organisational challenges, the Congress successfully brought together leading national and international experts who, over the two-day scientific programme, exchanged experience on the most advanced methods of imaging the heart and blood vessels, new diagnostic approaches and modern options for patient treatment. Holding the Congress under such circumstances confirmed the Society's commitment to continuous medical education and international scientific cooperation. The Congress was also supported by the Institute of Sports and Sports Medicine of the Republic of Serbia.
The Congress was officially opened by Prof. Dr Marija Zdravković, founder of the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, founder of the Balkan Congress on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and Chair of the Organising Committee. Her vision was to use this meeting to advance the education of physicians, encourage the development of new cardiovascular magnetic resonance centres in Serbia and the region, and further strengthen international cooperation with leading European institutions.
The co-chair of the Second Balkan Congress, alongside Prof. Dr Marija Zdravković, was Prof. Dr Robert Manka, Director of the Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Centre at the University Hospital Zurich and one of the world's leading experts in cardiovascular magnetic resonance. His active participation was a significant acknowledgement of the Congress's international standing and further strengthened the cooperation between Serbian and leading European CMR centres. During the Congress, Prof. Manka was also awarded the honorary title of Visiting Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, in the field of cardiovascular magnetic resonance, further confirming the international recognition of the Serbian school of cardiovascular imaging.
The Second Balkan Congress brought together more than 300 participants from Serbia and numerous European countries, including cardiologists, radiologists, internists, paediatricians, anaesthesiologists, intensivists and other physicians interested in modern cardiovascular imaging. The scientific programme covered the most current topics in the field of cardiovascular magnetic resonance, including the diagnosis of cardiomyopathies, ischaemic heart disease, inflammatory diseases of the myocardium and pericardium, valvular heart disease, congenital heart defects, diseases of the aorta, quantitative myocardial mapping, as well as the application of CMR in cardio-oncology and sports cardiology. Particular emphasis was placed on the practical application of CMR in everyday clinical decision-making and the selection of optimal patient treatment.
Interactive discussions and presentations of complex clinical cases attracted great attention, giving participants the opportunity to exchange experience with leading European experts. The success of the Second Balkan Congress confirmed that this meeting had outgrown the scope of a regional event and become one of the most significant European scientific meetings devoted exclusively to the clinical application of cardiovascular magnetic resonance. At the same time, the Congress further strengthened the international reputation of the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and provided a strong impetus for the further development of education, scientific research and international cooperation in the field of cardiovascular imaging.
First Balkan Congress on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
The First Balkan Congress on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance was held on 6 and 7 March 2019 at the Hilton Hotel in Belgrade, organised by the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade. It was the first congress of its kind in Serbia and the region, devoted exclusively to the clinical application of cardiovascular magnetic resonance, and marked the beginning of a new era in the development of this diagnostic method in the Balkans.
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The Congress was organised shortly after the founding of the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, with the aim of bringing together experts from various specialties and establishing a platform for continuous education, scientific cooperation and the development of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in Serbia and the region. By organising this meeting, the Society demonstrated from the very outset its ambition to place Serbia among the countries actively contributing to the development of modern cardiovascular imaging and to establish international cooperation with leading European centres.
The Congress was officially opened by Prof. Dr Marija Zdravković, founder of the Serbian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, founder of the Congress, Chair of the Organising Committee and Director of the University Hospital Medical Centre “Bežanijska kosa”. Her vision was to bring together leading national and international experts to exchange knowledge, advance cardiac magnetic resonance diagnostics and position Serbia as one of the European centres of excellence in the field of cardiovascular magnetic resonance.
The co-directors of the First Balkan Congress, alongside Prof. Dr Marija Zdravković, were Prof. Dr Sebastian Kelle, Director of the Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Centre at the Charité and Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin hospitals, one of the leading European centres for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and Prof. Dr Ružica Maksimović, Head of the Magnetic Resonance Centre of the University Clinical Centre of Serbia.
At the time the Congress was held, the only major European scientific meeting covering topics in the field of cardiovascular magnetic resonance was the annual congress of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI). The distinctiveness of the First Balkan Congress, however, lies in the fact that it was the first European congress fully devoted to the clinical application of cardiovascular magnetic resonance, focusing on its role in everyday clinical decision-making, the precise establishment and confirmation of diagnosis, prognostic assessment and the selection of optimal patient treatment.
More than 200 participants took part in the Congress, including cardiologists, radiologists, internists, paediatricians, intensivists and other physicians of various specialties. A special contribution to the international character of the meeting was made by 17 eminent international speakers from Switzerland, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Lithuania, who presented the latest advances in the diagnosis, risk assessment and modern treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
A special place in the programme was held by the ceremonial opening session delivered by Academician Vladimir Kanjuh, one of the most distinguished Serbian pathologists, professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, and member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, together with Prof. Dr Marija Zdravković. This unique session presented the correlation between histopathological findings and cardiovascular magnetic resonance findings in patients with various cardiovascular diseases. It attracted great attention from the professional audience and has gone down as a historic session at a congress on cardiac magnetic resonance.
The First Balkan Congress on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance laid the foundations for the continuous development of education, scientific cooperation and the international recognition of Serbia in the field of cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Its success provided the basis for the organisation of subsequent Balkan congresses, which over the years have grown into recognised international scientific meetings with an ever-growing number of participants and speakers from around the world.