My research has been supported by major national and international organisations, including British Heart Foundation, Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, European Commission and National Institutes of Health (USA).
My team studies how the heart’s energy systems contribute to damage during heart attack and how targeting these pathways may help protect the heart.
I supervise PhD students and early-career researchers, many of whom now work in leading academic and clinical positions around the world.
My current role
As an Honorary Consultant Physician in Acute Medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, I care for patients who are admitted with urgent medical conditions. I also work as a Consultant Physician at Cleveland Clinic London.
Alongside my clinical work, I lead a cardiovascular research programme at the University of Cambridge. My research focuses on understanding what happens to the heart and other organs during and after a heart attack or stroke.
When blood supply returns to the heart after a blockage (such as during treatment for a heart attack), it can sometimes cause additional injury. My team studies why this happens and how we can prevent it.
We focus particularly on:
- How heart cells produce and use energy
- How structures inside cells called mitochondria function
- How we can reduce damage caused by reduced blood flow
Our goal is to develop new treatments that protect the heart and improve recovery after heart attack and stroke. Some of this work has led to patents and collaborations with other universities and pharmaceutical companies to help bring discoveries closer to patient care.
I am currently Chairperson of the Working Group on Cellular Biology of the Heart at the European Society of Cardiology, where I contribute to shaping cardiovascular research across Europe.
I am also involved in medical education. I am a Fellow and Director of Studies in Medicine at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and I help lead teaching in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Cambridge Clinical School.
In addition, I am Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Camoxis Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a company working to develop new treatments based on our research into heart cell energy metabolism.
Previous history
I studied medicine at Albert-Ludwig University in Freiburg, Germany. I completed specialist training in internal medicine and cardiology in Germany and carried out research in both Germany and the United States.
After qualifying as a specialist in Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, I worked as a Consultant Cardiologist in Germany before moving to the University of Cambridge in 2009.
I was appointed Professor of Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine in 2022.
Membership and accreditations
- Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology
- Chairperson, ESC Working Group on Cellular Biology of the Heart
- Fellow and Director of Studies in Medicine, Magdalene College Cambridge
- Registered with the General Medical Council in General Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology
- Editorial Board Member, Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy
Publications
I have published more than 145 scientific papers in leading medical and scientific journals. My work has helped improve understanding of how heart cells are damaged during heart attack and how new treatments might reduce this damage.