Having a family history of premature cardiovascular disease on my father’s side and good role models during medical school (including one cardiac surgeon and two cardiology professors) motivated me to pursue a career in cardiology. During one of my clinical rounds as a medical student, a cardiology professor was impressed with my medical knowledge and said that I had the potential to become a successful scientist in cardiology. I did not understand him at that time. However, I now see myself as both a cardiologist and a scientist, and his advice has also motivated me to be a role model and a mentor for my students, fellows and other cardiologists in the early stages of their career.