Roles

Dr. Abdulgani Abonowara; MD, FRCPC, FACCInterventional Cardiologist.Associate clinical Professor.

Current Work experiences July 2023 to date:Interventional CardiologistProgram director Arab board – Libyan cardiology fellowship.Former Associate Clinical Professor; McMaster University – Canada andUniversity of Tripoli – Libya; Department of medicine.Cath lab at Miatiga Hospital and AL-Razi Private Clinics.

Previous work experience June 2012 to July 2023:Full time staff, cardiologist, CCU director at Niagara health (NH), Division of cardiology, Department of medicine, St Catharines General Hospital, St Catharines, ON.

Associate Clinical Professor, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.

Interventional cardiologist, and Cardiac device and pacemaker as well as Echo/TEE expert.

Also, Private clinic experience.

Educational Background Degrees, Qualifications and Certifications:2013 American board certification in Cardiovascular Disease (FACC).
2012 Interventional cardiology Fellowship Certificate, Dalhousie University.
2011 FRCPC (Cardiology), Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
2009 FRCPC (Internal Medicine), Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.2008 American board certification in Internal Medicine (ABIM).
2006 Licentiate of the medical council of Canada (LMCC).
2004 Certificate of proficiency in English, McGill University; Montreal, Canada.
1999 MBBCH/MD, University of Tripoli, Tripoli.Other Specialized Training:2011 - 2012 Interventional cardiology Fellowship Certificate, Dalhousie University.2011 - 2012 Permanent pacemakers and Devices implantation training and extra Echocardiography including TEE and stress Echo.

Careers

Medical education/training, Work experience:

June 2012 to July 2023:

Full time general and Interventional cardiologist, device specialist with Niagara health system and McMaster university as well as private clinic practice.2011 - 2012 Permanent pacemakers and Devices implantation training and extra Echocardiography including TEE and stress Echo.

July 2005 to June 2012:

Fellow - Interventional cardiology fellowship; division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University and QEII health sciences center Halifax, NS, Canada.

Extra training of pacemakers, and Echocardiography including TEE and stress Echo.

Resident - Cardiology Residency program fellowship, Dalhousie University and QEII health sciences center, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Resident - Internal medicine residency program, Dalhousie University and QEII health sciences center, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Locums work:

Interventional cardiology/Cath labs in Libya and Canada.

Worked/locum in the ICU of Saint John regional hospital.

Worked/locum at Dartmouth General Hospital (DGH) covering Internal medicine and cardiology, Dartmouth, NS Canada.

Worked as a staff cardiologist, covering the cardiology emergency and inpatient consults, cardiac care unit (CCU) and inpatient care at CapeBreton Regional Hospital, Sydney, NS, Canada

Research Interests

McMaster University teaching activities:

Teaching Experience: Macmaster University; teaching programs:

-       Several educational activities different parts, cities and University in Libya ad in Canada.

-       Lectures and exam in Libya and abroad

-       Involved in bedside and dedicated teaching to junior residents and medical students.

-       Department of Medicine and cardiology; involved in bedside teaching and teaching session, Teaching:       

1-    University of Tripoli – Libya.

2-    McMaster students’ supervision clinical teaching.

3-    McMaster internal medicine residents’ supervision and teaching.

4-    McMaster University Students teaching; including clinical teaching (Several weeks per year based on the schedule provided by the medical education office.

5-    Academic teaching, ECGs, cases discussions, lectures and teaching sessions.

6-    McMaster University residents teaching; sometimes; few weeks a year.

7-    Teaching procedures to students and residents; like temporary pacemakers, Pericardiocentesis, chest tubes, central lines and Cardioversions.

8-    ECG teaching to residents and medical students.

9-    Pharmaceutical companies advisory board meetings attending and presentations.

10- Giving Lectures and presentations to the community family physicians sponsored by several different Pharmaceutical companies.

11- Teaching sessions to the cardiology floors nurses and CCU nurses.

Attended Educational activities, conferences, Virtual educational activities and meetings.

1)    Several presentations in different parts, cities and University in Libya ad in Canada.

2)    Attending several conferences/Symposiums in Libya and abroad

3)    McMaster Cardiology update on yearly bases.

4)    Attending the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress (CCC) every other year

5)    American Cardiology Conferences every other year.

6)    Canadian Echocardiography Meeting on yearly bases.

7)    Niagara Cardiology Journal Club (NCJC) attending frequently and participating with presentations several times.

8)    Attending cardiology educational online meeting, webinars and ZOOM online lectures and discussion.Niagara Internal medicine grand rounds Presentation about pacemakers.

9)    Presentation to GPs about NOACs in Sept 2015.

10) Other clinical and teaching activities.

11) Online reading and educations activities.

Participating as an examiner:

1-    University of Tripoli, Department of medicine

2-    Supervisor/Program Director Cardiology.

3-    McMaster University, medical students OSCAEs and final exams.

4-    McMaster University; Internal medicine residents OSCAEs.

5-    Royall College EXAMINER in the MCCQEII exam several times.

Research activities:

1-    Abdulgani Abonowara, Jonathan Howllet. Right Ventricular Biopsy in Post Heart Transplantation. Cardiology department, Dalhousie University. Presented in the Canadian society of transplantation (CST) conference 2007, Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) meeting 2007 and at Dalhousie University residents’ research day 2006.

2-    Abdulgani Abonowara, Jonathan Howllet, Jafan Cox. Effectiveness of Calcium Channel Blockers in Heart Failure. Presented in the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) meeting in Oct. 2007, Quebec City and in Dalhousie University residents’ research day 2007.

3-    Abonowara A, Quraishi A, Sapp JL, Alqambar MH, Saric A, O'Connell CM, Rajaraman MM, Hart RD, Imran SA. Prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients Taking Thyroid Suppression Therapy for Management of Thyroid Cancer. Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. Published in: Clin Invest Med. 2012 Jun 1;35(3):E152-6.

4-    This was presented in the American endocrinology meeting in California-USA in June 2010, Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (CSEM) meeting in Edmonton in Aug. 2010, and at Dalhousie University residents’ research day 2010. Published as above

5-    268 Study of 30 Days Mortality in a Contemporary Population Of Elderly Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Intervention in Acute ST Elevation MI.  Canadian Journal of Cardiology. S191-S192. 2012

6-    Interaction of calcium channel blockers and ace inhibitors therapy in heart failure patients: Data from the improving cardiovascular outcomes in nova scotia (ICONS) registry.  Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 168C-169C. 2007

7-    The usefulness of routine right ventricular biopsy and incidence of significant acute cellular rejection 5 years after heart transplantation.  Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 66C-66C. 2007

Research Interests:

Involved with the cardiology research team at Niagara health as sub-PI for 3 clinical trials.Sub-PI for the AEGIS, ASPIRE and CLEAR clinical at Niagara health.Interested in research aiming at decreasing mortality and morbidity associated with coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation and heart failure:1. Acute Coronary Syndromes.2. Heart failure (HFpEF and HFrEF).

3. Post-operative atrial fibrillation

4. The impact of anemia, renal failure and/or age on outcomes post primary PCI.5. Open to other research activities.

Awards and honors:

2005      Secretary of scientific research and higher education scholarship, Libya, to pursue postgraduate training in Internal medicine.

2008      Secretary of scientific research and higher education scholarship, Libya, to pursue cardiology training

2010      Funding from Dalhousie University for the interventional cardiology fellowship.

2016     Certificate of Merit given to Dr. Abdulgani Abonowara: Teaching excellence award form Department of medicine, McMaster University.

2021    Certificate of excellence given to Dr. Abdulgani Abonowara: Teaching excellence award form Cardiology Division, Department of medicine, University of Tripoli.

External Activities

Medical education/training, Work experience:

June 2012 to July 2023:

Full time general and Interventional cardiologist, device specialist with Niagara health system and McMaster university as well as private clinic practice.2011 - 2012 Permanent pacemakers and Devices implantation training and extra Echocardiography including TEE and stress Echo.

July 2005 to June 2012:

Fellow - Interventional cardiology fellowship; division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University and QEII health sciences center Halifax, NS, Canada.

Extra training of pacemakers, and Echocardiography including TEE and stress Echo.

Resident - Cardiology Residency program fellowship, Dalhousie University and QEII health sciences center, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Resident - Internal medicine residency program, Dalhousie University and QEII health sciences center, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Medicine Licenses:

Holding Full license to practice Internal medicine and Cardiology in the province of Ontario effective May 9th, 2012 up-to-date; CPSO License #: 97498.

Was holding Full license to practice Internal medicine and Cardiology in the province of Nova Scotia effective July 2005 to 2012; CPSNS License.

Was holding Full license to practice Internal medicine and Cardiology in the province of New Brunswick effective July 2005 to 2012; CPSNB License.

Was holding Full License to practice Internal medicine and Cardiology in Libya.

Procedures Performed:

Interventional cardiology; all procedures. Diagnostic and therapeutic right and left cardiac catheterization, Including Complex PCI,

Implantation of cardiac devices including ICD, CRTD and permanent pacemakers (dual chamber and single chamber pacemakers).

                                                  Transesophageal Echocardiography Studies (TEE) and stress Echo.All other common cardiac procedure.