Thomas Binder, MD was born 1960 in Vienna and studied medicine at the Medical University in Vienna from where he graduated 1985. Prof. Binder was trained in internal medicine and cardiology at the general hospital of the University of Vienna (AKH). Research activities brought him to the Huntington Memorial Research Institute in Pasadena, Ca, USA where he was engaged in basic vascular research. In addition, he served as a clinical fellow at the Loma Linda Medical Center, Loma Linda, Ca, USA. Starting at an early stage of his career Dr. Binder was devoted to imaging techniques and, specifically echocardiography. His scientific focus is clinical echocardiography and new techniques such as three-dimensional echo and speckle tracking. Dr. Binder published numerous peer review articles in national and international journals and contributed to several textbooks dealing with echocardiography.