Professor Dr Hedwig Hövels-Gürich, mother of three adult children, is a paediatric cardiologist and lecturer in the Department of Paediatric Cardiology at the Technical University of Aachen, Germany. Since 1995, her main area of expertise has been the long-term assessment of cardiological and psychomotor development and quality of life in children, adolescents and young adults after corrective surgery for congenital heart disease. Her research is conducted in partnership with the German Association of Children with Heart Disease.