Dr. Michael Ross MacDonald

Dr. MacDonald is a distinguished British cardiologist who has been advancing cardiovascular care in Singapore since 2015. After earning his MBChB degree from Aberdeen University, Scotland in 2000, Dr. MacDonald further enriched his expertise with a Bachelor of Science research degree focusing on diabetes and cardiovascular disease, earning honours in 1998.

His cardiology skills were further honed through the prestigious Glasgow cardiology training program, which he joined in 2008. Dr. MacDonald also completed a rigorous three-year fellowship at the Scottish National Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Unit, under the mentorship of pioneers in heart failure treatment, Professor Henry Dargie and Professor John McMurray. During this time, he earned his second research degree (MD) in 2011, with a thesis exploring the intersection of diabetes and heart failure.

Dr. MacDonald’s commitment to advancing cardiology led him to also specialize in cardiac imaging, culminating in a fellowship in cardiovascular MRI at Royal Brompton Hospital, London. He achieved the highest level of accreditation in 2013. His credentials were solidified the same year when he received his UK Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) and subsequently appointed as a Consultant Cardiologist at Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.

In 2015, Dr. MacDonald was recruited by Changi General Hospital (CGH) in Singapore, where he played a crucial role in the development of their heart failure and cardiac imaging services. CGH’s heart failure programme became the first and only in Singapore to receive the prestigious JCI accreditation.

In 2019, he joined the Harley Street Heart & Vascular Centre as a partner, spearheading the opening of their clinic in Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Orchard.

Dr. MacDonald is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) and a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC), recognitions that underscore his profound contributions to cardiology, particularly in the realms of heart failure and cardiac imaging. His extensive experience in managing complex heart failure cases, inherited cardiomyopathies, hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease, including those requiring advanced device implantation and cardiac transplantation, positions him as a leader in his field.

Dr. MacDonald’s primary research interest is in the relationship between diabetes and heart failure, the subject of his research doctorate awarded in 2011. He is globally recognised for his work and has presented his work nationally and internationally. In recognition of his expertise in diabetes and heart failure, he was an invited panelist to the ESC Workshop on diabetic cardiomyopathy and was a keynote speaker at the Japanese Circulation Society.

Dr. MacDonald has published extensively in top journals and has been widely cited. He is a reviewer for high-impact journals including the Lancet and the European Heart Journal and regularly sits on committees for international large-scale randomised controlled trials. Dr. MacDonald was appointed Adjuvant Associate Professor by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in 2019 and regularly teaches medical undergraduates.