José Alexandre Silva Antunes, Cardiologist (OM 35650), graduated in Medicine at Nova University Medical School (1988-1994) with a final grade of 15 (out of twenty) and obtained the degree of Specialist in Cardiology at Coimbra University Hospitals (1997-2003) with a final grade of 18,5 (out of twenty). During Cardiology training, because in his view clinical activity should always be associated with basic science for a correct evolution and practice, attended the Master in “Biomedical Engineering” at the Faculty of Medicine from the University of Coimbra, finishing the academic component in 2002 with a final average of 16 (out of twenty), and in 2004 presented the Thesis "development of Liposomes with affinity for the ischemic myocardium" being approved with the final grade "Very Good". In 2006-2007 worked as a guest assistant at Coimbra University Medical School Biophysics department, coordinated by Filomena Botelho MD PhD. In the clinical area, his interest focused on cardiac intensive care, having worked as a Resident Doctor at the UCIC (intensive cardiac care unit) of Centro Hospitalar de Coimbra until 2010, when he accepted a new challenge: coordinate the opening of the UCIC at Centro Hospitalar de Leiria (CHL). His experience in Cardiac Intensive Care, with most patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome and/or decompensated heart failure, sparked his interest in an area of Cardiology that has been proven to be essential in patient care and is in continuous expansion: Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR). In 2007 attended an internship at the CR Unit of Hospital Rámon y Cajal (Madrid) under the coordination of Prof. Maroto, and developed a project to implement a CR unit, which took place in 2017 at CHL. This unit was the first one in the Centro region of Portugal, having recently been accredited by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).