Being a previous Cardiologist, my research interest is in the molecular basis of cardiovascular diseases, focusing on genetic small vessel diseases (SVD) and the functions of the causative genes such as NOTCH3, COL4A1/A2, TREX1, in cardiovascular system. We utilise patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as model system to study a range of genetic SVD in order to understand molecular mechanisms of the conditions, and identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets that could be generalised to the more common and sporadic form of SVD. We are particularly interested in understanding how cerebral vascular pathologies lead to the neurodegeneration and vascular dementia by interrogating interactions between different iPSC-derived vascular and neuronal cell types that form the neurovascular unit (NVU) in the brain. My group is also interested in stem cell related vascular tissue engineering and nano-medicine/nano-targeting. 

2018 - Now       Professor of Molecular Medicine

2014 – 2018      Senior Lecturer, The University of Manchester

2003 – 2013      Lecturer/Research Fellow, The University of Manchester

2001 – 2003      Postdoc, Department of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge

1992 - 2001       Postdoc, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge

1986 – 1992      Physician Cardiologist, the 3rd Hospital of Peking University

1988 – 2001      PhD, the 3rd Hospital of Peking University Health Science Centre

1981 – 1986      Medical student, China Medical University    

Research Interests:

• Molecular mechanisms of genetic cardiovascular diseases
• iPSC modelling of genetic vascular and neurovascular conditions
• Neurovascular interactions and vascular dementia
• Notch signalling in human cardiovascular system
• Vascular engineering and Nano-medicine 

iPSC model of genetic cardiovascular and cerebral vascular conditions

Small vessel diseases are among the key risk factors contributing to cognitive defects of the brain, leading to vascular dementia that has been recognised as the second leading form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms for such conditions are largely under investigated. The most common type of genetic stroke syndrome CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy), caused by NOTCH3 gene mutation, is a typical small vassal disease and provides a valuable model to explore the pathogenesis of vascular dementia. CADASIL is a systemic vascular condition, but has a brain-specific clinical manifestation, suggesting a defect in neurovascular coupling. The communications between vascular cells and neuronal cells happen within the neurovascular unit (NVU) in the brain through either physical contacts or releasing trophic factors. We use the patient-specific iPSC model in conjuction with genome editing (CRISPR/Cas9) to explore functional interactions between neurovascular cells, identify therapeutic targets and conduct drug screen for future treatment of vascular dementia.  

Notch signalling in cardiovascular function and diseases

Notch signalling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that transduces signals between adjacent cells. Notch signalling determines cell fate during embryonic development and are also important in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis in the adult life. Dysregulation of Notch signalling leads to a diverse range of human diseases from cancer to cardiovascular disorders. We are using molecular biology and cell biology tools including high throughput screening to study the role of Notch signalling in cardiovascular and cerebral vascular cells including their differentiation from stem cells, and explore small molecules that could manipulate the signalling in order to achieve targeted treatment for related diseases.

Vascular engineering

In conjunction with the iPSC research and utilising state-of-art material technologies, we are producing functionalised vascular scaffold that could accommodate patient-specific iPSC-derived vascular cells, in order to create personalised vascular grafts to be used for future regenerative therapy, or as a tissue model for the study of molecular mechanisms of genetic vascular diseases and drug targets.

Nanomedicine

Nanotechnologies are transforming the capabilities of medical diagnosis and treatments. We are currently producing and functionalising biodegradable nanoparticles to explore their potential for targeted therapy. We also study the molecular mechanisms of the antimicrobial functions of the laser produced novel metal nanoparticles.   

Source of funding:

• British Heart Foundation (BHF)
• Medical Research Council (MRC)
• The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs)
• Animal Free Research UK
• Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing
• Stroke Association
• Alzheimer’s Research UK
• Alzheimer’s Society Manchester and Northwest Network Centre
• The University of Manchester Intellectual Property Limited (UMIP)
• Johnson & Johnson
• Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust
• BBSRC

• Programme Director: Clinical Genetics and Genetic Counselling (International)

• Course Director: Fundamentals of Human Genetics. For MSc and STP programmes in Genomic Medicine and Genetic Counselling.

• Teaching: Human Genetics and Evolution (BIOL 31402). For the 3rd year undergraduate students in Faculty of Life Sciences.

 Current laboratory members:

• Dr Adam Mitchel
  Postdoctoral Research Associate. iPSCs COL4A1/A2 SVD 
• Luis Larrea
  CDT PhD Student. Vascular tissue engineering 
• Katie Newman
  MRC DTP PhD Student. iPSCs RVCL study
• Xiangjun Zhao
  PhD Student. iPSCs VSMC study 
• Chaowen Yu
  Visiting Research Fellow. iPSC/CRISPR/lung organoid
• Srishti Silvano
  MRes Student in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine  

Collaborators:

• Professor Sue Kimber
  FBMH, The University of Manchester
• Professor Nigel Hooper 
  FBMH, The University of Manchester
• Professor Karen Horsburgh 
  University of Edinburgh
• Professor Rhian M. Touyz 
  University of Glasgow 
• Dr Tim Felton
  FBMH, The University of Manchester
• Prof Anna Blocki
  The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Dr Martin Baron
  FBMS, The University of Manchester
• Professor Pankaj Sharma
  Royal Holloway, University of London and Imperial College London
• Professor Henry Yi Li
  School of Materials, University of Manchester
• Dr Jiashen Li
  School of Materials, University of Manchester
• Professor Lin Li
  School of Mechanical Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester
• Dr Zhu Liu
  School of Materials, University of Manchester
• Dr Marco Domingos 
  School of Mechanical Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester
• Professor Qingbo Xu
  King’s College London

Alumni:

• Dr Adam Dickinson 
  Postdoctoral Research Associate
• Joseph Kelleher 
  NC3Rs PhD Student
• Wenjun Zhang
  CSC-UoM PhD Student
• Sumia Ali
  Postdoctoral Research Associate
• Dr Nazanin Mirhosseini
  Postdoctoral Research Associate
• Peri Korshed
  PhD Student
• Sumia Ali
  Postdoctoral Research Associate
• Samira Hosseini
  PhD Student
• Dr Jianzhen Ren 
  Visiting Scholar
• Graeme Elliott
  PhD student. 
• Adem Sadli
  PhD student
• Junhong Gui
  PhD student 
• Yanwen Wang
  PhD student
• Rebekah Leong 
  MSc student in Bioinformatics
• Victor Hu 
  Final Year UG project
• Amerikos Argyriou
  MRes Student in Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine 
• Jenny Quang
  MRes student in Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
• Megan Kelly
  MSci Genetics 
• Mohammad Hussain 
  MRes student in Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
• Ramla Omar
  MRes in Medical Genetics
• Hector Garcia Romeu
  MRes student in Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
• Paul Humphreys
  MRes student in Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
• Charles Wade
  MRes in Translational Medicine
• Madalaine Kay
  MRes student in Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
• Lauren Faulkner
  MSc in Medical Genetics
• Georgi Delchev
  MSc Bioinformatics
• Qi Li
  MSc Bioinformatics 
• Arjun Subramanian
  MRes student in Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
• Stephanie Frost
  MRes in Medical Genetics
• George Braileanu 
  MRes in Translational Medicine
• Zoe Sawitzki
  MRes in Medical Genetics
• Shiraz Ziya
  MRes in Translational Medicine
• Kumarini Akurugoda
  MRes in Translational Medicine 
• Leyla Zilic
  MRes in Translational Medicine
• Sundas Chohan 
  MRes student in Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
• Sabrina Caiazzo
  ERASMURS MSc student, Italy 
• Andrew Robinson
  MRes in Translational Medicine
• Chris Breen
  MRes in Translational medicine
• Nadim Lukas
  Final year UG project student
• Zhi Zheng
  Final year UG project student
• Xuting Ye
  Finak year UG project student
• Chiheng Xu
  Final year UG project
• Anqi Zhang
  MSc Cell Biology regenerative medicine
• Chiheng Xu
  Final year UG project 

• Member of British Society for Cardiovascular Research
• Member of British Atherosclerosis Society
• Member of the International Society for Stem Cell Research
• Guest Editor: Cardiovascular Disease and Vascular Tissue Engineering (Cells, special issue)
• Managing Editor: Signalling Pathways in Cardiovascular Function and Diseases (FBS special issue)
• Member of Editorial Board: American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine
• Member of Editorial Board: Annals of Stroke and Vascular Neurology
• Editorial Board member: Bioscience Research Institute (BRI)
• Editorial Board member: Frontiers in Bioscience Scholar
• Editorial Board member: Frontiers in Bioscience-Elite
• Topic Editor: Pharmaceutics 
• Member of Editorial Board, Signal Transduction Insights (an online journal)
• Member of Editorial Board (previous), Recent Patents on CNS Drug Discovery
• Overseas Editor for Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CJBMB)
• Overseas Editor for Chinese Journal of Cardiovascular Review

• Molecular biology
• Cell biology including iPSCs
• Protein chemistry
• Functional enzymology
• In vitro pharmacology
• Molecular genetics

1986 MBChB, China Medical University

1991 PhD, Peking University Health Science Centre

2017 SFHEA (Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy, UK)

2021 FRSB (Fellow of Royal Society of Biology) 

2022 FRSM (Fellow of Royal Society of Medicine)