Meet the current members of the lab.
Dr Jovana Serbanovic-Canic, Research Fellow
Jovana is a BHF Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellow investigating endothelial mechanoreceptors and how they regulate endothelial cell death in response to mechanical forces. She is using a range of different models and approaches to do this, including zebrafish, murine models and human cells.
Dr Blanca Tardajos Ayllon, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Blanca is a BHF-funded PostDoc working on the role of the TWIST1 gene in endothelial cell plasticity and atherosclerosis. Blanca recently completed her PhD in the lab, which focused on studying the role of the NFkB member C-Rel in shear stress mediated endothelial disfunction and atherosclerosis.
Dr Siyu Tian, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Siyu is an MRC-funded Postdoc working on the transcriptional control of atherosclerosis. Prior to taking up this post in the lab, Siyu completed her PhD at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam studying the PIEZO2 mechanosensor in pulmonary hypertension.
![DSC_0192[1].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/58ea94_6c79c15ce0874588855493c0dcca404a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_186,h_210,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/DSC_0192%5B1%5D.jpg)
Dr Mannekomba Diagbouga, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Mannekomba is a BHF-funded PostDoc working on the role of the TWIST1 gene in endothelial cell plasticity and atherosclerosis. Prior to this Mannekomba was a PhD student in the laboratory of Professor Brenda Kwak in Geneva studying the influence of shear stress on intracranial aneurysms.
Hazem Darwish, PhD Student
Hazem is a first year PhD student developing novel inhibitors against a pro-atherogenic transcription factor.
Ziqi Zhou, PhD Student
Ziqi is a third year PhD student studying the mechanisms linking shear stress to the progression of atherosclerotic plaques into dangerous forms that cause heart attack or stroke.
Priscila Hirschfeld, PhD Student
Priscila is a first year PhD student funded by the BHF to study the role of NF-kB transcription factors in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis.
David Reid, PhD Student
David is a first year PhD student funded by the A*STAR Institute in Singapore to study the role of TWIST1 in stroke.
Past Lab Members.
Post-docs and Research Assistants
Dr Sophie Irving
Dr Hannah Roddie
Dr Kajus Baidzajevas
Dr Xiuying Li
Dr Celine Souilhol
Lindsay Canham
Dr Hayley Duckles
Dr Feng Shuang
Dr Rosemary Kim
Dr Hayley Duckles
Dr Matthew Bryan
Ms Britta Moers
Dr Sarah Hsiao
Dr Christina Warboys
Dr Kim Van der Heiden
Dr Le Luong
Jason Partridge
2021 - 2022
2019 - 2021
2020 - 2020
2019 - 2020
2015 - 2019
2015 – 2018
2014 – 2016
2013 – 2018
2013 – 2015
2013 – 2015
2013 - 2015
2013 – 2015
2012 – 2015
2010 – 2012
2008 – 2010
2006 – 2013
2004 – 2005
PhD Students
George Bowley
Daniela Pirri
Blanca Tardajos
Giannis Xanthis
Neil Bowden
Marwa Mahmoud
Ismael Gauci
Amalia de Luca
Narges Amini
Bao Nguyen
Hatam Naase
Simon Cuhlmann
Mustafa Zakkar
Hera Chaudhury
Karine Enesa
2018 - 2021
2016 - 2020
2016 - 2019
2014 – 2017
2013 – 2016
2012 – 2015
2012 – 2015
2009 – 2014
2010 – 2013
2010 – 2013
2010 – 2012
2007 - 2010
2007 – 2010
2006 – 2010
2004 – 2007
MSc and BSc Students
Ingvild Thorbjornsen, Tonje Folkvang, Gunhild Sandvik, Oeyvind Ruud, Chee Phua, Sneha Varkey, Mengshi Yuan, Lucy Esteve, Lisa Storck, Georgia McDonald, Wai-Mun Cheung, Shukti Biswas, Adil Hussain, Simrah Mohammad, Tien-Ying Tsai, Wei Xin, Azira Mohd Noor, Ruud Wichers Schreur, Abigail Pardoe, Neil Patel, Elena Wolodimeroff, Matthew Littler.