HEART 2025
In chess, a piece with limited movement and scope can cross the battlefield, step by step, and reach the farthest rank of the board. There, it can become the most versatile and powerful piece in the game – the queen.
Thus, HEART proudly presents its 11th edition, ‘Queening the Pawn’. More than a rule of chess, this transformational move is a metaphor for resilience and empowerment.
It is a call to arms for every individual—patient, practitioner, and advocate alike—to recognize our agency and reclaim the narrative: we are not mere player, we are the game makers themselves.
But no pawn reaches the final rank alone. Each piece on the board plays a role in clearing the path, protecting the vulnerable, and creating opportunities for progress. Together, we can build a healthcare system that thrives on unity, compassion, and shared purpose.
This is your invitation to step into your power, to lead, to heal, and to inspire. From the 15th to the 18th of May 2025, let science meet the heart and claim the future we deserve. Let’s queen the pawn together!
SPEAKERS
PANELS
ADDICTIONS - Facing the Reality
*English-language session
Location: Aula UMF, Gheorghe Marinescu Street
“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” – Carl Jung
Addiction is not a label, it is a call to understand, heal, and transform. With this in mind, this panel discussion aims to explore the metamorphic potential of recovery as an incentive to reclaim the narrative of one’s life.
With this occasion, we are HEARTwarmed to welcome back Dr. Akeem Sule. As co-founder of HIP HOP PSYCH and a Consultant Psychiatrist in General Adult Psychiatry, he brings a unique approach to understanding the intricacies of mental health and addiction. His Specialist Psychiatry training with the Oxford Rotational Scheme, his role as an Honorary Visiting Research Associate at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, and his established teaching methods, including the “Old School Hip Hop Method of Teaching” showcase his expertise in approaching the complexity of this subject step by step.
Along his side, we are opening our HEARTS to Dr. Gabriel Diaconu. With a background in Psychiatry and as a coordinator of the action plan for mental health reform, in the field of drug use he offers vivid insights on emerging strategies for prevention, treatment, and recovery. He is a trained suicidologist and he led the Section on the Consequences of Torture and Psychological Abuse within the WPA (World Psychiatric Association), both of which are a testament to his refreshing perspective on protecting the vulnerable and shaping opportunities for progress.
Through this discussion, our speakers will bring to life the metaphor of resilience and empowerment as essential tools in breaking the cycle of addiction. We want you to be part of this story, so join us for a session meant to inspire.Speakers:
Akeem Sule, MD
Consultant Psychiatrist
Co-founder of HIP HOP Psych
Cambridge University Research Associate
Gabriel Diaconu, MD
PALLIATIVE CARE - From Strategy to Empathy
*Romanian-language session
Location: Aula UMF, Gheorghe Marinescu Street
“We cannot change the outcome, but we can affect the journey.” – Ann Richardson
Have you wondered what happens when medicine reaches its limits? The answer is palliative care, a strategy that provides patients with peace and dignity, transforming their journey through disease into one of comfort and meaning one step at a time.
Thus, we are opening our HEARTs to a team of experts who have navigated this challenging field firsthand: Senior Lecturer Dr. Călin Lazăr, Lecturer Dr. Pârvu Andrada, Assistant Professor Dr. Marius Colceriu, Senior Lecturer Dr. Ruxandra Râjnoveanu, Dr. Bogdan Chiorean, Assistant Professor Dr. Ciucă Georgiana Delia, and Ovidiu Berar, psychotherapist. From teaching Palliative Medicine to putting it into practice at the “St. Nectarie” Palliative Care Center or into their respective specialties, they dedicated their careers to improving the quality of life for patients and their families, demonstrating that care extends beyond curing disease.
Their perspectives help healthcare professionals address the complex needs of the terminally ill as well as recognise and mitigate the impact of burnout on themselves. By exploring the delicate balance between providing compassionate care and maintaining personal well-being, our speakers will highlight the resilience healing takes for both patients and those who care for them.
This panel will showcase that each and every piece plays a role in protecting the vulnerable. Join us for a talk meant to emphasise how every step can change the way we care!
Speakers:
Andrada Pârvu, MD
Marius Colceriu, MD
Călin Lazăr, MD
Ruxandra Râjnoveanu, MD
Bogdan Chiorean, DMD
Georgiana Delia Ciuca, MD
