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Meet the team
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About us
The Inflammation and Cardiovascular Diseases laboratory uses a multidisciplinary approach to understand how the immune system and inflammation drive the development of cardiovascular diseases.
When protection becomes damage
Inflammation is ordinarily a protective response triggered by damage to living cells. This response localises and eliminates harmful agents whilst removing damaged tissue components, allowing the body to heal and maintain balance.
However, in cardiovascular diseases, the injury may be caused by internal factors — such as a heart attack — rather than external threats like bacteria or viruses. The immune system initiates inflammation in response, but untreated acute inflammation can become chronic, eventually causing progressive cell damage, particularly in arteries and heart tissue.
Our areas of focus are vascular inflammation (atherosclerosis) and cardiac inflammation (cardiomyopathy).
Research approach
We're working to decipher how both adaptive and innate immune systems contribute to inflammation in cardiovascular diseases using animal models. Our goal is to translate these findings into clinical practice through two key pathways:
- Early detection
Developing diagnostic approaches that identify inflammatory cardiovascular disease before it causes major events. - Effective intervention
Creating therapeutic strategies that prevent premature plaque rupture — the cause of most heart attacks and strokes.
Our current research interests
Preventing recurrent heart attacks
Better understanding and preventing recurrent myocardial infarctions to improve long-term outcomes for heart attack survivors.
Regulatory T cells and vulnerable plaques
Investigating how CD4+ regulatory T cells can prevent or reverse the development of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques associated with unstable angina, heart attack and stroke.
Gamma-delta T cells
Understanding how gamma-delta T cells contribute to vulnerable plaque development and identifying potential intervention points.
Post-heart attack inflammation
Studying myocardial inflammation following a heart attack to reduce subsequent heart damage and improve recovery.
Cardiac fibrosis
Investigating diffuse interstitial cardiac fibrosis — the progressive scarring of heart tissue that impairs heart function.
