Our computation and laboratory-based research into cardiovascular and metabolic diseases enlightens preventive and treatment strategies to decrease the burden of these non-communicable diseases. It also sheds light into novel mechanisms involved in occurrence of the disease.
As a group, we create a “critical mass” with a focus on tackling cardiovascular disease as a global health challenge. We identify high risk individuals and their excess risk through performing sophisticated epidemiological and machine learning research using population-based cohort studies such as the UK Biobank. Our behavioural and lifestyle studies investigate the effect of lifestyle changes (physical activity, diet, weight loss, etc.) in decreasing risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
We eventually make a link between epidemiological data with experimental data. We aim to understand biological paths and mechanisms that links risk factors to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. These experiments are done in laboratory environments on biological models (Drosophila, C.elegans, rodents) and tissues.
Understanding cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors and the patterns by which they are interconnected with the disease would be helpful in:
- identifying high risk individuals,
- identifying how much excess these high-risk individuals carry compare to the general population,
- highlighting what changes these people would need to implement in their life in terms of lifestyle change or use of medication in order to prevent major cardiovascular events in these groups of individuals.
The results of the research in our group helps inform policy makers on high-risk individuals and on the molecular causes involved in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Our research enables Public Health professionals identify high risk individuals under their care and to target preventive methods such as lifestyle behaviour and prophylactic treatments more efficiently.