Research in my laboratory is focusing on understanding the molecular aspects of cardiac remodelling and heart regeneration. My research is currently supported mainly by programme and project grants from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) as well as research grants from Medical Research Council (MRC) and Heart Research UK (HRUK). Please see Research and Projects for details.

I am also involved in several clinical and population studies, in particular in developing novel approaches for early detection and management of cardiovascular risks in rural populations. Please click here for details.

My teaching portfolio includes teaching undergraduate medical (MBChB) and biomedical sciences (BSc) students, postgraduate taught programmes (MSc Cardiovascular Health and Diseases (CVHD) and MSc Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM). I also supervise postgraduate research students (PhD). I review manuscripts and grants for international journals and funding bodies, respectively and also an Editorial Board member for several journals.

I graduated from the School of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia in 1996. I then worked as Research Assistant at the Eijkman Institute Indonesia under the supervision of Prof Sangkot Marzuki. I went to the University of Queensland in 1998 and completed my PhD in 2001 under the guidance of Professors Brandon Wainwright and David Hume. Following a short post-doctoral training in the Institute of Molecular Bioscience, Queensland I joined the laboratory of Prof Ludwig Neyses in Manchester in 2002. During my PhD and postdoctoral works I have received awards from European Society of Cardiology (ESC) (1st Winner of Young Investigator Award in basic Science (2006) and from Australian Society for Medical Research (1st Winner Biomedical Research Award, Pre-doctoral category, 2001). In 2010, I have been awarded the British Heart Foundation Intermediate Fellowship that enabled me to develop my own laboratory. After completing the BHF Intermediate Fellowship I was appointed as Senior Lecturer in 2015, promoted to Reader in 2019 and to full Professor in 2023.

MD, School of Medicine, University of Airlangga, Indonesia

PGDipSc in Molecular Biology, University of Queensland, Australia

PhD in Molecular Genetics, University of Queensland, Australia

1) Role of the Hippo signalling pathway in cardiac regeneration and cell reprogramming

My group is interested in investigating novel modulators of the Hippo signalling pathway which are important in cell replication and repair. We modulates Hippo pathway to induce cardiomyocyte regeneration and to improve induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-based cell replacement therapy.

2) The regulatory role of tumour suppressor molecules during cardiac hypertrophy, remodelling and failure

We are also interested in investigating the role of tumour suppressors and oncogenes during cardiac growth. We are focusing on the tumour suppressors and oncogenes related to the Hippo signalling pathway in regulating cardiac hypertrophy.

3 ) Local calcium signalling in the heart regulated by sarcolemmal calcium pump
I am also interested in studying how calcium microdomain governs the molecular signaling pathway. We are particularly interested in studying calcium signals regulated by the plasma membrane calcium pump (PMCA)

Research Grants

1) As Principal Investigator:

• British Heart Foundation Programme Grant (RG/F/21/11055)(£728K, 2022-2027)
• Heart Research UK Translational Research Project Grant (RG2696/21/23)(£151K, 2022 -2024)
• British Heart Foundation Project Grant (PG/18/40/33767)(£160K, 2018-2020).
• British Heart Foundation Project Grant (PG/17/78/33304)(£221K. 2018-2021).
• MRC Research Grant (MR/P015816/1)(£276K. 2017-2020)
• British Heart Foundation Project Grant (PG/16/77/32400)(£135K, 2016-2018)
• British Heart Foundation Project Grant (PG/13/12/30017)(£202K, 2013-2016)
• British Heart Foundation Basic Science Intermediate Fellowship (FS/09/046/28043)
  (£546K, 2010-2015)
• British Heart Foundation Project Grant (PG/11/23/28801)(£62,200, 2011-2014).

2) As Co-Investigator:

• British Heart Foundation Programme Grant (RG/18/2/33392, £1.3M 2018-2023).
• BHF Project Grant (PG/14/24/30626)(£22K,2014-2017).
• BRC George Lancashire Award (£45,900, 2011-2014).
• British Heart Foundation Project Grant (PG/05/082) (£149,408, 2005-2008).

Heart Research UK (HRUK) Project Grant Panel Committee Member (2022 - present)

British Heart Foundation Project Grant Committee Panel Member (2015 - 2019)

Editorial Board Member, Nature Scientific Reports

British Society of Cardiovascular Research

Heart Failure Association of the ESC

European Society of Cardiology Working Group of Cellular Biology of the Heart

Lab Members:

• Efta Triastuti (Post-doc)
• Ardiansah Bayu Nugroho (Post-doc)
• Ryan Potter (Post-doc)
• Bayu Lestari (PhD Student)
• Pia Morales Araya (PhD Student)
• Agnescia Sera (PhD Student)
• Faisal Yusuf Ashari (PhD Student)

PhD Project available, please click here for more information.