Committed to reducing the risk of Sudden Young Cardiac Death

At Young Hearts Project, we are dedicated to ensuring the heart health of young people up to the age of 35 through accessible ECG screening. Our goal is to address the alarming gap in cardiac screening for youth, particularly outside elite sports, and to promote awareness of potential heart risks among young people.

Meet our team

James and Miles met on the touchline watching their children play sports. They shared a concern about the gap between cardiac screening being recommended for teenagers who are playing sport and the lack of provision for this. They couldn’t understand why their children’s teammates who were doing ‘elite’ sports through Academies and National Pathways were having mandatory cardiac screening whereas the other similarly active children had nothing.

Research revealed that screening only tended to happen after the devastating tragedy of a young person dying from an undisclosed heart condition and subsequent fundraisers to screen their friends and teammates.

James has been interested in intervention-based cardiology all his career and with Miles’ background in health and wellness businesses, they both believe strongly that UK teenagers deserve much better and that they are in a position to address this.

Dr. James Cockburn (MBBS, BSc (1st Class Hons), MRCP, MD), Chief Medical Officer

Dr. James Cockburn qualified as a doctor in 2000 after starting medical school at Imperial College, London, in 1994. Before embarking on formal cardiology training, he completed a research MD at Kings College, London, focusing on vascular biology and cardiovascular risk. He later pursued an International Interventional Fellowship in coronary and structural heart intervention at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

Clinical Expertise and Leadership in Heart Health

Since October 2013, James has served as a Consultant Cardiologist at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust and has a private practice that includes work with Brighton & Hove Albion. He is a member of both the British Cardiac Society and the British Cardiac Interventional Society. As a co-founder of Young Hearts Project, James oversees clinical practices, ensuring quality and excellence in patient treatment.

Emma Cockburn, Director

Emma is an experienced radiographer and medical ultrasound specialist with three decades in clinical practice. She has an Honours Degree in Radiography, an MSc in Medical Ultrasound and a Masters in Healthcare Management. Emma has worked at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and also worked in Ultrasound Care in Sydney. Emma currently works at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital as a Paediatric Sonographer.

Emma is the mother of two teenage boys. She is passionate about preventative medicine and remains committed to delivering the highest standards of patient-centred healthcare.

Emily Worne, Director

Emily worked in marketing for Estee Lauder Companies and then in marketing services for Omnicom in London and New York. She worked for many clients across diverse sectors, but primarily technology clients.

She has four children and was surprised to discover that only one of her teenagers was able to access heart screening by being in a sports academy, while the others had no opportunity.

She is responsible for client relationships.

Emily has an MA Hons in Spanish and French from Edinburgh University.

Alexandra Crisp, Lead Cardiac Nurse

Alex is an experienced nurse with a specialist background in cardiac care. She qualified as a Registered Nurse in 2016 and began her career in the Coronary Care Unit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, where she developed strong clinical skills in managing acute cardiac conditions. With advanced training in ECG interpretation and physical assessment, she brings strong clinical judgement to cardiovascular screening. She continues to apply her clinical knowledge in practice, while also raising her two teenage daughters.

Jo Burn, Medical Secretary

Jo Burn has built a career supporting professionals and organisations across several sectors. She has worked as a legal secretary and then as a Montessori team leader, helping guide young children’s learning and supporting the wider teaching team. Jo is Young Hearts Project’s medical secretary and responsible for sending results.

Miles Worne, Director

Miles Worne brings extensive experience in scaling both public and private businesses within the European healthcare sector and sports nutrition with Glanbia plc. He has Masters degrees from Edinburgh and Columbia universities. He began his career as a consultant at Bain & Co.

As co-founder of Young Hearts Project, Miles oversees clinic administration and client servicing.

Heart screening helps save lives

“I had a medical emergency after a rugby tournament which I later found out was due to an undiagnosed heart condition. I was really lucky to make a full recovery after treatment by Dr James Cockburn and was back enjoying sports soon after. I was shocked to discover how easily my condition could have been picked up if I had had a ten minute ECG and a cardiac specialist listening to my heart. Everyone should have these checks and I think the Young Hearts Project, led by James, is a brilliant initiative. I couldn’t recommend this more strongly”

(1st XV player, aged 18, Brighton College)