Kamel Shibbani, MD

Kamel Shibbani
Pediatric Interventional Cardiologist / Assistant Professor

University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

Pediatric interventional cardiologist and clinical assistant professor of pediatric cardiology at the University of Iowa’s healthcare system and medical school   

Dr. Shibbani has made it his goal as a physician to treat some of the most vulnerable of all patients: babies, children and adults born with congenital heart disease (CHD). Although he was born to modest circumstances, he has accomplished that goal at an early age.  

Beginning in 2018, Kamel devoted countless hours to increase awareness about CHD. Often referred to as one of the best kept secrets in medicine, the condition has grown in visibility thanks in no small part to his articles, postings, interviews and leadership. 

In 2020, a core group of veteran interventionalists fulfilled a long-expressed dream to form a new professional society of CHD interventionalists—the PICS Society. Since then, Dr. Shibbani has been the society’s “point of the spear,” helping organize a collective voice on behalf of the most vulnerable of patients.  

Kamel has emphasized a core message interventionalists know well. While their subspecialty and patients may be little known, for a parent of a child with CHD, there is nothing more important than the best possible care. Dr. Shibbani’s leadership has been instrumental in expanding awareness of CHD interventionalists and the care they uniquely offer.  

In addition, Dr. Shibbani has:  

  • Widely circulated articles expressing needs and opportunities in his field. Many have been published in Congenital Cardiology Today (CCT), on topics such as advocacy on behalf of patients and doctors, Covid and CHD, and humanitarian efforts.  
  • Dramatically increased the presence of CHD specialists on social media. 
  • Hosted video interviews with pioneers in CHD interventional care, preserving oral histories from those who invented the field. 
  • Served as associate editor of the PICS Society’s Tips and Tricks, a popular series on care improvement for CHD interventionalists.  
  • Served as founding chair of the PIC Society’s communications committee, making it the most active, impactful of the society’s 20 committees. Dr. Shibbani is the youngest committee chair.  

Thanks largely to Dr. Shibbani’s dedication and leadership, today’s CHD interventionalists have a strong voice on behalf of the smallest of patients.