© 2026 HMP Global. All Rights Reserved.

Any views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and/or participants and do not necessarily reflect the views, policy, or position of EP Lab Digest or HMP Global, their employees, and affiliates. 

EP LAB DIGEST. 2026;26(3).

Interview by Jodie Elrod

In this interview, Dr. Bilchick discusses the vision behind the newly established HRS Research Network and the critical need for stronger collaboration, mentorship, and infrastructure in heart rhythm research. He previews what attendees can expect from the “Introduction to the HRS Research Network” session at Heart Rhythm 2026, including key priorities, opportunities for engagement, and resources for investigators at all career stages. Dr Bilchick also highlights additional ways to get involved during the meeting, particularly for fellows and early-career researchers, through sessions such as the EP Innovation Pathway and the Research Symposium, which have been designed to foster innovation, connection, and career development.

What inspired the creation of the HRS Research Network, and what key gaps or needs in the heart rhythm research community is it designed to address?

The creation of the HRS Research Network was inspired by a clear and persistent gap in the heart rhythm research ecosystem: despite major scientific advances, the infrastructure to efficiently connect investigators, share resources, and support collaborative, multicenter research has lagged behind the needs of the field. Over the past several years, it became evident that investigators across clinical, translational, and basic science domains were facing common barriers, such as difficulty identifying collaborators, limited access to datasets and infrastructure, challenges with funding and regulatory processes, and insufficient mentorship and career development pathways, particularly for early-career electrophysiologists.

Importantly, these insights were not anecdotal; they were reinforced by structured member surveys and stakeholder discussions. Investigators consistently identified the need for a centralized, collaborative platform that could serve as a “connector” across institutions, disciplines, and career stages. Specifically, there was strong demand for tools to identify collaborators, access multicenter registries, connect with industry and funding opportunities, and foster idea exchange and mentorship. At the same time, the broader research environment has become increasingly complex, with rising costs, regulatory hurdles, and competing clinical demands limiting the ability of individual centers to independently conduct high-impact research.

An earlier EP Collaboratory effort was particularly influential in shaping this vision. That initiative highlighted the value of a multi-stakeholder approach to bring together clinicians, scientists, industry, and regulators such as the FDA and accelerate innovation and streamline evidence generation. Although the Heart Rhythm Society ultimately determined that it was not positioned to serve as the primary convener of that specific effort at the time, the lessons learned were critical. They demonstrated both the feasibility and the importance of structured collaboration, and they clarified that while a device-focused Collaboratory (now realized through the MDIC/Stanford EP Collaboratory) could address early feasibility studies, there remained a much broader unmet need across the full spectrum of heart rhythm research.

The HRS Research Network was therefore conceived to fill this broader gap. Unlike the EP Collaboratory, which focuses primarily on early-stage device innovation, the HRS Research Network is designed as a comprehensive, inclusive platform to support clinical, translational, and basic science research across the entire field of electrophysiology (EP). Its mission is to function as a connector, convener, and catalyst—linking investigators across institutions, enabling access to shared data resources, and fostering collaborative studies that would not be feasible within isolated centers.

A particularly important motivation has been the need to support the next generation of EP researchers. Surveys and community feedback have consistently highlighted gaps in mentorship, research training, and access to opportunities for fellows and early-career faculty. By creating structured pathways, such as researcher matching, mentorship networks, and integration with initiatives like the EP Collaboratory, the HRS Research Network aims to lower barriers to entry and create a more sustainable pipeline of investigators.

Finally, the vision of the HRS Research Network reflects a shift toward data-driven, multicenter science. There is growing recognition that many of the most important questions in EP, such as optimizing therapies like conduction system pacing by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with electrocardiograms and imaging, require large, diverse datasets that no single institution can provide. By enabling a shared, de-identified data infrastructure and facilitating collaboration across centers, the Network is positioned to accelerate discovery, improve personalization of therapies, and ultimately advance patient care.

In summary, the HRS Research Network was inspired by both the challenges and the opportunities identified over several years of prior work: the need to break down silos, connect investigators, support trainees, and create scalable infrastructure for collaborative research. It is designed to address these gaps by serving as a unifying platform for the heart rhythm research community—one that enables collaboration, accelerates innovation, and strengthens the future of EP research.

What can attendees expect to learn from the “Introduction to the HRS Research Network” session at Heart Rhythm 2026, particularly in terms of priorities, opportunities, and how to engage?

Attendees of the “Introduction to the HRS Research Network” session at Heart Rhythm 2026 can expect a clear, practical overview of how this new initiative is being built and how they can participate in and benefit from it at every career stage.

First, the session will outline the strategic priorities and near-term goals of the HRS Research Network. This includes defining the key scientific areas where collaborative efforts are most needed, such as arrhythmia mechanisms, physiologic pacing, sudden cardiac arrest, and emerging areas like AI and digital health, and how the Network will help coordinate multicenter efforts around these priorities. Attendees will gain insight into how the Network is structured to accelerate high-impact research by connecting investigators, aligning efforts across institutions, and creating a roadmap for annual goals and deliverables.

Second, a major focus will be on opportunities, particularly for early-career investigators and trainees. The session will highlight how the Network is designed to lower barriers to entry into research by providing access to mentorship, collaborative projects, and a broader community of investigators. Attendees will learn about structured mentorship pathways, opportunities to engage with both basic and clinical scientists, and mechanisms to connect with ongoing or developing studies. The emphasis is on creating a more inclusive and supportive research ecosystem that helps fellows and early-career EP faculty find their niche and build productive collaborations.

Third, the session will address how the HRS Research Network integrates with the broader EP research landscape. This includes its interactions with partner organizations such as the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society, the EP Collaboratory, and registries like the Pulsed Field Ablation Registry. Attendees will see how the Network complements these efforts by serving as a central hub that connects discovery science, clinical research, and innovation pathways, including device development and early feasibility studies.

Finally, and most importantly, the session will provide concrete guidance on how to engage. This includes how to join the Network, contribute to the researcher database, participate in collaborative projects, and take advantage of mentorship and educational offerings. The goal is for attendees to leave not just informed, but with a clear understanding of how they can actively participate by contributing data, joining studies, mentoring, or developing new research ideas within this collaborative framework.

In summary, this session is designed to move beyond a conceptual introduction and provide a practical entry point into a growing, collaborative research ecosystem—one that aims to connect the global EP community, accelerate discovery, and support the next generation of investigators.

Beyond the introductory session, what are the best ways for attendees—especially fellows and early-career investigators—to get involved with the HRS Research Network through sessions like the EP Innovation Pathway and the Research Symposium at Heart Rhythm 2026?

The HRS Research Network Early Career Research Symposium is designed as an interactive, matchmaking environment rather than a traditional lecture session, allowing fellows and early-career investigators to actively engage with senior leaders in EP research. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect directly with experts across key domains such as physiologic pacing, sudden cardiac arrest, AI, and digital twins, while participating in structured mentor–mentee interactions. These sessions emphasize practical guidance on designing and conducting research, while also creating space for early-career participants to share their interests, discuss ongoing projects, and identify collaborators. The focus on aligning interests and skill sets is intended to foster meaningful, durable research partnerships that extend beyond the meeting.

For those interested in innovation and translational science, the EP Innovation Pathway session provides a complementary and highly structured entry point into device development and early feasibility research. Attendees will learn how to engage with the EP Collaboratory and understand the pathways available for participation in early-stage device innovation, including first-in-human studies. The session highlights training models that enable clinicians to contribute to or lead technology development, while also offering insights into mentorship opportunities that span academia, industry, and regulatory science. Importantly, the HRS Research Network serves as a guide in this process, helping participants identify whether their interests are best aligned with collaborative clinical research or innovation-focused pathways.

Across both sessions, there is a strong emphasis on actionable engagement, encouraging attendees to take concrete steps during and after the meeting. Participants will be guided on how to join the HRS Research Network, contribute to the researcher database, and make their expertise visible to potential collaborators. They will also be encouraged to express interest in ongoing or planned multicenter studies, identify mentors or mentees, and establish follow-up plans to sustain these connections. In addition, attendees can explore structured pathways within the Network, including opportunities to join collaborative research initiatives or innovation tracks, and participate in idea exchange discussions that may evolve into new projects.

These opportunities are intentionally integrated within a broader ecosystem rather than functioning as isolated sessions. The Research Symposium helps attendees refine ideas and build connections, while the EP Innovation Pathway provides access to translational and device development opportunities. The HRS Research Network then serves as the ongoing infrastructure that supports these efforts through mentorship, collaboration, and access to shared resources. Together, these components create a cohesive framework that enables participants to move seamlessly from initial engagement to sustained involvement in high-impact research.

Ultimately, attendees should view these sessions as practical entry points into an active and growing research community. Fellows and early-career investigators can leave Heart Rhythm 2026 having identified mentors and collaborators, clarified their research or innovation pathway, connected with ongoing projects, and taken the first steps toward participating in multicenter studies. In this way, the meeting is designed not only to educate, but to integrate participants into the HRS Research Network and accelerate both their career development and contributions to the field of EP.