José Luis Merino is the Director of the Arrhythmia and Robotic Electrophysiology Unit at La Paz University Hospital in Madrid and a Professor of Cardiology at the Autónoma University of Madrid. He graduated from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, received specialized cardiology training at La Paz University Hospital, and pursued dedicated training in Invasive Electrophysiology at Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón (Madrid), Boston Children's Hospital (USA), and St. George's Hospital (UK) in 1994.

Dr. Merino served as the President of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) from 2022 to 2024, following various prominent roles including Secretary and Chair of several EHRA Committees. He has also been a board member of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), contributing significantly to numerous initiatives. In addition, he held leadership positions within the Spanish Society of Cardiology, serving as Secretary (2000-2002) and President (2003-2006) of its Working Group on Arrhythmia.

Dr. Merino's research focuses on the invasive treatment of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, alongside the development of antiarrhythmic drugs and anticoagulants. He has authored over five books and more than 250 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals. He has also contributed to several official documents, including the latest ESC guidelines on the management of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and sudden cardiac death (SCD), and the 2024 EHRA/HRS/APHRS/LAHRS consensus on atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation.