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This is us
Angel L Armesilla
Group Leader
Angel qualified as a molecular biologist (BSc, MSc) from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, Spain before moving to the Life Science Division, King’s College London to undertake post-graduate research studies. In 1995 Angel obtained his PhD from the Molecular Biology Department, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain, and began post-doctoral studies in Cancer UK London Laboratories and the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute,
Angel took a lectureship in 2001 at the University of Manchester where he investigated the molecular basis of cardiac hypertrophy.
In 2005 Angel joined the University of Wolverhampton as Reader in Molecular Pharmacology and was promoted to Professor in Cardiovascular Molecular Pharmacology in 2020. He lectures in Molecular Pharmacolgy and leads a research team investigating the molecular mechanisms implicated in cardiovascular disease,
Kinza Khan
Post-Doctoral Research Assistant
Kinza graduated with a BSc-Honours degree in Biomedical Sciences by the University of Wolverhampton, UK. During her undergraduate programme, she visited laboratories in the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic, and the Hospital of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, as an Erasmus student. Her PhD project aimed to elucidate molecular and cellular alterations involved in the pathological remodelling of the aorta happening in human diseases such as atherosclerosis and aneurysm. She obtained her PhD in 2022 and has started to supervise PhD and Master students in our laboratory.
Miebaka Ian-Gobo
PhD student
Miebaka graduated with a BSc degree in Medical Laboratory Science by the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Rivers State, Nigeria, where she works as Senior Lecturer in Haematology and Blood Goup Serology. She pursued postgraduate studies and obtained a MSc in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. Currently, she is investigating the mechanisms implicated in glioblastoma resistance to VEGF-based anti-angiogenic therapies as part of her PhD project.
Ezra Leander Santhosh
PhD student
Leander visited our laboratory in August 2019 to carry out the experimental project for his master in our laboratory. Leander graduated MTech in Biotechnology in July 2020. After a gap caused by COVID pandemic, Leander joined our lab again in October 2021 to pursue a PhD investigating the molecular basis of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.
Shervin Najafi
PhD student
Shervin first met Angel during the practicals of Year 1 Pharmacology. Shervin was impressed with Prof Angel's knowledge (on football!) and decided to pursue a PhD in his laboratory after graduating in Pharmacology by the University of Wolverhampton. Shervin joined our group in February 2021 to investigate the molecular basis of tumoral angiogenesis.
Yaamini Mohan
PhD student
Yaamini graduated BSc in Biotechnology from the VIT University in India, and then
she pursued a MSc in Forensic Genetics in the University of Wolverhampton in UK. She has decided to carry on her scientific career by joining our group to undertake a PhD degree. Yaamini joined the group in June 2022 to investigate the role of PMCA proteins in the pathophysiology of arterial blood vessels.
Mohmad Zouabi
PhD student
Teja Manidhar Kola
MPhil student
Our sister
laboratories
Professor James Cotton
Consultant Cardiologist, New Cross Hospital
Professor in Cardiovascular Research
University of Wolverhampton
James undertook his undergraduate medical training at Kings College London and studied for his MD at University College and Kings College London. From his current position as consultant interventional cardiologist in the Heart and Lung Centre of Wolverhampton, New Cross Hospital, James leads the clinical research projects of our group.
He is also director of the Research and Innovation Department of The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust. In 2019, James was appointed as Professor in Cardiovascular Research by the University of Wolverhampton.
Laboratory of Gene Regulation in Cardiovascular Remodelling and Inflammation
Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares
(CNIC) Madrid, Spain
The laboratory of Gene Regulation in Cardiovascular Remodelling and Inflammation at the CNIC in Madrid, Spain, is one of our longest and most active collaborators. The laboratory is led by Professor Juan Miguel Redondo "JuanMi", mentor of Angel in his first postdoctoral days. We consider this lab as our second home. We specially collaborate with them in our investigations on the role of the calcineurin/NFAT signal transduction pathway in the regulation of cardiovascular signalling.
https://www.cnic.es/en/investigacion/gene-regulation-cardiovascular-remodelling-and-inflammation-0
Heart Failure Laboratory
Division of Cardiovascular Sciences
The University of Manchester
Manchester, UK
The laboratory of Heart Failure at the University of Manchester is led by Prof Elizabeth Cartwright. Elly and Angel have been collaborating to elucidate the function of the PMCA proteins in the cardiovascular system for the last 20 years. Manchester can be reached from our lab in a bit more than 1 hour, what facilitates constant collaboration and visits to Elly's lab.
https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/researchers/elizabeth-cartwright(0cc1bee3-9d44-4b80-98a0-c4456ac1770d).html
Former Members
Former students
Suhail Ahmed
Suhail graduated with a BSc-Honours in Biochemistry by the University of Wolverhampton in 2016. After graduating, he pursued postgraduate studies gaining an MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences in Wolverhampton University in 2018. Then, he joined our group to start a PhD programme. His project aims to investigate the role of cardiac microRNAs in endothelial cell angiogenesis.
Ivonne Olivares
Ivonne graduated in Medicine by the UCSD University in the Dominican Republic. After graduating, she gained an MSc in Bioimedical Sciences in Wolverhampton University. She joined our group in 2018 to investigate the role of the transcription factor ATF2 in endothelial cell angiogenesis.
Kinza Khan
Kinza graduated with a BSc-Honours degree in Biomedical Sciences by the University of Wolverhampton, UK. During her undergraduate programme, she visited laboratories in the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic, and the Hospital of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, as an Erasmus student. Her PhD project aimed to elucidate molecular and cellular alterations involved in the pathological remodelling of the aorta happening in human diseases such as atherosclerosis and aneurysm. She obtained her PhD in 2022 and has started to supervise PhD and Master students in our laboratory.
Jude Ighuba
Jude graduated with a BSc degree in Biochemistry by the Imo State University, in Nigeria. After graduating, Jude pursued a MSc in Biomedical Sciences in the University of Wolverhampton, UK, and joined our lab to carry on PhD studies investigating the molecular mechanisms responsible for the pathological remodelling occurring in the pulmonary arteries of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. he completed his PhD in 2022.
Reshma N Immanuel
Reshma graduated with a BSc degree in.....by the University of......., in India. After graduating, she moved to Scotland and gained an MSc in.....by the University of Glasgow. She joined our group in 2019 and enrolled in an MPhil programme. She is investigating the molecular mechanisms that regulate angiogenesis. She was awarded a MPhil in June 2021 by our University.
Krithika Kalyanakrishnan
Krithika graduated with a BTech degree in Biotechnology by SASTRA University, Tamil Nadu, India. When she completed her degree in India, Krithika joined our laboratory to investigate the molecular regulation of the Notch signalling pathway in endothelial cells as part of her MPhil project. She gained an MPhil degree in February 2022 and was awarded a PhD studentship by the Naval University, in Quebec, Canada where she moved to undertake her PhD program.
Sathishkumar Kurusamy
In 2017 Sathish completed his PhD "A novel selective inhibitor for plasma membrane calcium ATPase 4 improves VEFG-mediated angiogenesis" in our group at the University of Wolverhampton. Then he worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Prof Wang's group at the University of Wolverhampton until moving to the University of Kent where he currently works as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate.
Rhiannon Baggott
In 2014 Rhiannon completed her PhD "Role of the plasma membrane calcium ATPase as a negative regulator of angiogenesis" in our group at the University of Wolverhampton. Currently is working as a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant in KIng's College London.
Marylouise Holton
In 2009 Mary completed her PhD "PMCA as a regulator of calcium/calmodulin-dependent signal transduction pathways" in our group at the University of Wolverhampton. After a first post-doctoral stay in the University of Glasgow, in 2010 gained Career Development Fellowship at the MRC Centre for Virus Research at the University of Glasgow. In 2014 moved to industry to work as a Scientist/Study Director at SGS Vitrolog, being promoted to Senior Scientist/Study Director in 2018.
Mamta Buch
Mamta completed her PhD under a co-supervision of Angel Armesilla and Ludwig Neyses at the University of Manchester in 2007. Mamta is currently a consultant interventional cardiologist at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK. Her research interests include coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and translational cardiac regenerative medicine.
Adam Pickard
Visiting Students
Mugdha Vergunlekar
Nithyashree Arul
Poobana Dharmaligam
Poobana undertook her MSc in Biotechnology from the Vellore Institute of Technology University in India. She joined our group in February 2022 for 6 months to carry out the experimental project for her Master Degree, that she obtained in July 2022. Poobana has investigated the role of PMCA4 in the pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Vidhya Lakshmi Ravisankar
Vidhya graduated MSc in Biotechnology from the Vellore Institute of Technology University in India. In February 2022 she joined our group to carry out a 6-months stay in our laboratory to investigate the expression of members of the VEGF/VEGFR axis in patient-derived glioblastoma cells. Vidhya presented her results as part of the experimental project for her Master degree that she obtained in July 2022.
Alessia Amenta
Alessia graduated with a BSc degree in Life sciences, and then a MSc degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology by the Università degli Studi di Catania, Italy. After obtaining her MSc, she join our group for 6 months funded by been funded by an Erasmus scholarship awarded by La Sapienza University in Rome, Italy as part of the Erasmus+ project (UNIPHARMAGRADUATES). Alessia is now pursuing a PhD in the University of Milan, Italy.
Ana Redondo
Ana graduated with a BSc degree in Biomecical Sciences by the Universidad de Alcala de Henares, in Madrid, Spain and later MSc in by the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. After graduating, Ana join our laboratory for a summer work experience in August-September 2019, before embarking in her MSc. Ana is now pursuing a PhD programme.
Ezra Leander Santos
After graduating with a BTech in Biotecnology by the Vellore Institute of Technology University, in Vellore, India, Leander pursued master studies. He join our group in August 2019 for 6 months to carry out the experimental project for his master in our laboratory. Leander graduated MTech in Biotechnology in July 2020, and now he is preparing to come back to our lab for PhD studies.
Jayashree Jayachandran
JJ (as we call her in the lab) graduated BSc in by the University of , and then pursued a MSc in Biotechnology. JJ join our laboratory from December 2018 to June 2019 to carry out the experimental project of her master with us. She graduated MTech in Biotechnology in July 2019.
Priscille Polla
Priscille graduated BSc with Honours in Biomedical Sciences by the University of Wolverhampton in June 2018. During her summer holidays at the end of year 2 and year 3 of her undergraduate programme, Priscille joined our laboratory as a visiting student. After graduation, Priscille moved to Germany where she pursued a MSc
Teja Manidhar Kola
Teja was our last visitor before the COVID19 lockdown in England. He joined our lab in December 2019 to carry out a laboratory project for his MSc in our laboratory. He is back in India at the present but looking forward to come back to work with us for a PhD programme in our University.
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