Category Archives: 2020

The annual report by the Web of Science highlighting the most highly cited researchers worldwide has been released and we are proud to announce Professor Derek Yellon is amongst this elite group.

Identifying the world’s most influential researchers who have been most frequently cited by their peers over the last decade, this report recognises exceptional research influence, as demonstrated by the production of multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science.

In 2020, fewer than 6,200, or about 0.1%, of the world’s researchers, in 21 research fields and across multiple fields, have earned this exclusive distinction.

Such acknowledgment is a tribute to the leadership and hard work of Prof Yellon and his entire research team at the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute.

The report and full list of 2020 recipients can be seen here.

The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute hosts multiple educational meetings each year. As part of this series, we are pleased to announce the date for a 2^nd Annual Scientific Meeting for clinical trainees (SpR’s) in Nephrology, Diabetes and Cardiology.

The meeting titled ‘SGLT2 inhibitors & GLP-1 analogues in the management of type 2 diabetes and cardio-renal disease’ will be held on 15th January, 2021. This meeting will be of particular interest to trainees who are keen to learn more about the scientific advances in SGLT2 and GLP-1 and how this may be of benefit to their patients. The bringing together of basic science and clinical medicine has shown to be advantageous to the SpR community.

While normally held in person at The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute, this year the meeting will be via ZOOM with an abbreviated programme.

Read the programme here.

Register here: here

A research collaboration between teams at both the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute and the University of Lyon was established to build on shared strengths in the field of neuroprotection. The group has published a new paper, “Neuroprotection by remote ischemic conditioning in the setting of acute ischemic stroke: a preclinical two-centre study” in the Journal Scientific Reports. While this study is based in fundamental research, it builds on the knowledge base and highlights the potential benefit of this modality in the setting of ischaemic stroke in a clinical environment.

Dr Dame Nicola Brewer has stepped down from UCL after 6 years as Vice-Provost (International), during which time she made a tremendous impact on advancing UCL’s profile and engagement across the globe. The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute had been fortunate to work with Dame Nicola over her tenure and was honoured to have her attend our medical educational conferences, At the Limits, both in South Africa. In leaving UCL, she acknowledged the important ethos of our programmes and the benefits which have emerged. Our international education programmes in South Africa, Brazil & Canada have benefited from her backing and we would like to thank her for the support she gave during her tenure at UCL.

The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute is pleased to announce Dr Arjun Ghosh has taken on further roles in the specialised field of Cardio-Oncology. He has recently received his Fellowship of the International Cardio-Oncology Society (FICOS) as well as accepting a nomination to the Board of the Asian Cardio-Oncology Society. Dr Ghosh continues to disseminate his knowledge in this important domain as new co-host of the ICOS podcast on Spotify. We are very proud of his on-going championing of this area and know he will make a positive contribution to all.

The Mancherje-Potash Foundation in California, USA has recently provided substantial funding to support a new study evaluating Remote Ischaemic Conditioning (RIC) in high risk cardiovascular patients, in Africa. This new study, entitled RIC-Africa, will be a collaboration between The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute at UCL & multiple African countries with an aim to improve cardiovascular outcomes in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. It is hoped that the technique of Remote Conditioning could provide a simple, low-cost solution to nations which do not always have access to sophisticated medical care. The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute is grateful for the support of the Mancherje-Potash Foundation and will match this funding, which together, will initiate and support the ongoing study.  Professor Derek Yellon, Director of the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute, will be working closely with Professor Mpiko Ntsekhe, Head of Cardiology at the University of Cape Town.

By way of further information, The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute has, over the last 30 years, built a strong collaborative relationship with the University of Cape Town which has resulted in many successful studies, publications and educational development platforms, notably their “Cardiology, Diabetes & Nephrology the At the Limits” educational meeting.  Professor Yellon has been awarded a DSc by the University of Cape Town and also holds an honorary Professorship in the Department of Medicine.

In the recent issue of the British Heart Foundation publication, The Pulse, Dr Mohammed Shah was highlighted for his contribution to clinical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Shah is a BHF-funded Clinical Research Fellow completing his PhD at the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute, under the supervision of Prof Yellon, investigating the relevance of inflammation in acute myocardial infarction and sepsis.  However, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the UK, Dr Shah stopped his research and headed back to clinical duties at East Kent University Hospital where he led a team of junior doctors.

His experience as a cardiologist was beneficial as existing cardiovascular conditions present additional risk to COVID-19 patients and further, his research in inflammation was valuable in the current COVID-19 setting. Dr Shah looks forward to continuing on with his research once the COVID-19 situation begins to stablise and is grateful to the BHF for their continued support at this time.

Read more about Dr Shah’s contribution to the COVID-19 pandemic HERE.

We are pleased to announce the first publication, specific to COVID-19 research by the team at the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute, has now been published. The invited paper entitled “The cytokine storm of COVID-19: a spotlight on prevention and protection” was authored by Dr Lucie Pearce, Prof Sean Davidson and Prof Derek Yellon and published in the recent issue of the journal Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets. (READ PAPER HERE)

In the paper, the authors discuss how the cytokine release syndrome (CRS) of COVID-19 is associated with the development of critical illness requiring multi-organ support. They highlight the need for further research into how best to halt progression of multi-organ injury induced by hyper-inflammation, which leads to endothelial activation and circulatory collapse. They propose that as Remote Ischaemic Conditioning (RIC) reduces the inflammation of sepsis in animal models, this modality should be considered as a low risk intervention, in combination with cardiovascular protection to address CRS of COVID-19.

The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute is currently undertaking a multi-site study to evaluate the benefits of RIC upon early diagnosis of COVID-19 and through its activation of survival pathways, prevent patients from deteriorating to critical care. We are actively working with colleagues in Brazil and South Africa to expand the research programme and better understand the application to populations worldwide.

The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute has recently been given HRA approval to undertake a new study in COVID-19 investigating the potential for Remote Conditioning to reduce the severity of anti-inflammatory cytokines which are responsible the so-called cytokine “storm” that occurs in COVID-19 patients. The study, titled ‘Can Remote Ischaemic Conditioning Reduce Inflammatory Markers in COVID-19 Patients – A   Randomised Pilot Study,’ has been approved as part of the fast-track review scheme provided through UCLH and the National Research Ethics Boards to expedite important COVID-19 research.

Over the past 2 years, The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute has been investigating the role of the inflammatory system as a cause of significant injury during acute myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Importantly our research into methods of alleviating this inflammatory response are similar to events that we see in the early stages of the COVID-19 disease, i.e. the cellular mechanisms are similar to those seen in patients with sepsis. The phenomenon known as “Remote Ischemic Conditioning”, which is a simple non-invasive procedure, has been shown to prevent cellular injury including those associated with sepsis. Therefore, based on the evidence from studies investigating sepsis, it is anticipated that the same benefit would be seen in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Developing new methods to reduce the heightened inflammatory response is essential to halting progression of COVID-19 in patients and reducing the severity of damage. The aim of this study is to halt, or at least attenuate, the disease process before patients enter the intensive care units when the situation changes dramatically and may be too late.

Earlier this month we were saddened to announce the passing of Sir Maurice Hatter, a great friend and supporter of The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute and UCL itself.  In looking back at the nearly 30 years of Sir Maurice’s patronage, it was remarkable what has been achieved thanks to his, generosity and belief in our research work.

With over 200 staff and students passing through the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute since its inception, we have secured major grant funding from leading medical grant awarding bodies such as the British Heart Foundation, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research and the Wellcome Trust. This funding has enabled innovative research, inter-disciplinary collaborations and the development of strong scientific partnerships around the world. This has all culminated in steady progress in the quest to better understand cardiovascular disease and therapies.

Further, with the specific support of the Hatter Foundation, our Institute has in recent years expanded its research platforms to include both Neuroprotection and Cardiotoxicity (Cardioprotection following Chemotherapy). Sir Maurice’s ability to see the value in this important research enabled the foundations of these new programmes to become established. Sir Maurice would have been very proud to know our team is now taking a lead in COVID-19 research by re-focusing our knowledge in immune response in ischaemia to try tackle this worldwide pandemic.

An avid supporter of education around the world, Sir Maurice was a keen advocate of our many educational meeting initiatives which are now active on 4 continents.  As a recognised centre of excellence, the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute continues to attract the best of post-graduate and medical students from around the globe.  Their hard work and new ideas continue to enrich our learning environment.  Maurice always enjoyed visiting the laboratories and meeting the research team; as an engineer himself he was always discussing various technical aspects of the work and equipment that we used.

Looking back over the past 30 years, it is truly remarkable what has been achieved through the generous support of Sir Maurice and his Foundation. His long standing encouragement and belief in the research and education we undertake has allowed the team at the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute to advance knowledge in cardiovascular science significantly. We shall continue our pursuits in his memory.