Blog posts

Exploring new frontiers in coronary heart disease research

Dr Rasha Al-Lamee

This festive period, Three Wise Women from the Faculty of Medicine will be giving us the gift of wisdom.

Dr Rasha Al-Lamee, Clinical Reader in the National Heart & Lung Institute and Clinical Academic Interventional Cardiology Consultant at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, highlights the unique strengths of the UK’s life sciences research ecosystem, from the NHS to the invaluable contributions of patients. She reflects on her groundbreaking ORBITA trials, which challenged conventional wisdom about stenting for coronary artery disease. Dr Al-Lamee also shares how these experiences have shaped her career and passion for mentoring the next generation of cardiologists.

We are fortunate in the UK to have a well-developed infrastructure for research in life sciences. Our universal healthcare system within the NHS, world-leading academic institutions, and dedicated researchers provide a unique environment for innovation. Most importantly, it is our incredible patients—who not only understand the need for research but are willing to participate—that make groundbreaking studies possible. This unique combination allows us to lead the world in delivering research that tests novel treatments, evaluates existing practices, and paves the way for guideline-changing clinical practice.

As a clinical trialist, I have been privileged to work within this exceptional ecosystem. It has allowed me to carry out work that I do not believe could have been conducted in many other places in the world. My focus has been on treatments for ‘stable’ coronary artery disease, a condition that affects around 2.3 million people in the UK and causes chest pain, breathlessness, and sometimes pain throughout the body. Treatments often include medicines or angioplasty, a procedure where stents—wire mesh tubes—are placed into arteries to open blockages. However, since its introduction, there has been ongoing debate about whether the relief patients experience is due to the procedure itself or a placebo effect.

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Beyond survival: Why cancer survivorship matters

Professor Pernilla Lagergren

This festive period, Three Wise Women from the Faculty of Medicine will be giving us the gift of wisdom.

When cancer treatment ends, a new journey begins—one filled with unique challenges. Professor Pernilla Lagergren, Chair in Surgical Care Sciences at the Department of Surgery and Cancer, explores what life is like after cancer treatment. Drawing on her clinical experience with oesphageal and gastric cancer patients, she shares how her survivorship research is helping to shape better outcomes for patients, their families, and the healthcare system. 

When people think about cancer, they often focus on the illness itself—the diagnosis, the treatments, and the fight to survive. But once the treatment ends, another important challenge begins: what happens after cancer? As a researcher in cancer survivorship, my focus is on understanding what life is like for people who have been treated for cancer, and how we can improve that life for them. 

Here, I’ll explore the significance of cancer survivorship research, the insights we’ve gained, and what drives my commitment to this field. I‘ll also highlight how my work contributes to improving the lives of cancer survivors, supporting their families, and strengthening the healthcare system. 

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When science meets serendipity: How accidental discoveries could revolutionise women’s health

Professor Aylin Hanyaloglu

This festive period, Three Wise Women from the Faculty of Medicine will be giving us the gift of wisdom.

Aylin Hanyaloglu, Professor in Molecular Medicine in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, reflects on the role of serendipity in both scientific discovery and her own 17-year research career at Imperial. She explores how unexpected findings—like those in her team’s research on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)—can lead to breakthroughs that shape the future of medicine. From fertility treatments to the quest for more precise drugs, Aylin discusses how curiosity and embracing the unexpected have driven her team’s progress.

Serendipity—the fact of finding valuable or interesting things by chance—has long been a key element in scientific research. This is exemplified by Sir Alexander Fleming’s accidental discovery of penicillin, which revolutionised medicine: “I did not invent penicillin. Nature did that. I only discovered it by accident.” With this definition, serendipity for me has played a significant role in both the discoveries in our research as well as my career journey. This time of year offers opportunities to reflect on different areas in our lives, and I have often used the term serendipity for describing my journey. But what do I mean by this? Is it needed or just a normal part of the discovery process? And with the rapidly evolving landscape of how science is conducted, will this continue? 

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World AIDS Day 2024: ‘Take the rights path’

Sarah Fidler and Jonas Bergmann Poulsen

To mark World AIDS Day, Professor Sarah Fidler from the Department of Infectious Disease, and student, Jonas Bergmann from the University of Amsterdam, reflect on the evolution of HIV treatment and the ongoing challenges. They discuss the impact of stigma, the importance of accessible medication, and the role of community-led initiatives in supporting those living with HIV. 

Professor Sarah Fidler

My first experience of HIV was in 1988 when I was 24 years old. I had just qualified as a junior doctor.  As I started work on the respiratory ward, there were several young people who were inpatients. This was unusual for an acute medical ward, which treats patients with urgent medical conditions. Our patients were a similar age to me, but these young people – who should have had their whole lives ahead of them were isolated, sick and dying.  

 Not only were they dying, but they were dying with a health condition that also affected their partners, all while  facing fear, judgement and stigmatisation. As a result, many had no family with them to help ease their passing – just prejudice, homophobia and ignorance. We had no medicines that could reverse the medical complications, nothing that could make them better. All we could do was to care for them as best we could, providing empathy, kindness and medical support to ease their journey.  

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How medicine and medical research has contributed to HIV stigma–and how we challenge it

Alan Winston

World AIDS Day is a vital opportunity to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and honour those whose lives have been affected by the disease. Professor Alan Winston from the Department of Infectious Disease explores how language and scientific definitions have contributed to the stigmatisation of those living with the disease and emphasises the need for person-centred language and thoughtful scientific communication to reduce discrimination in medicine and medical research. 

The initial fear 

Since AIDS–Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome–was first identified in the 1980s, along with its underlying cause–the Human Immune Deficiency virus (HIV)– people living with HIV have encountered immense discrimination and stigma. Whilst this was partly driven by fear of the disease itself and the devastating clinical consequences of HIV without treatment, we should acknowledge that both physicians and scientists have contributed to this stigma. Here, I highlight how this has been mediated through language and scientific definitions. Although these contributors have likely not been intentional, going forward, we need to learn from past experiences and carefully consider how, as clinicians, clinical researchers and scientists, our work can focus on reducing the stigma and discrimination that has surrounded HIV for so many decades. 

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A deep dive into 30 years of progress and challenges

Professor Jonathan Valabhji

Diabetes now affects over half a billion people globally, including 3.8 million people in England. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90-95% of all cases, has obesity as its primary modifiable risk factor. Expanding waistlines, both nationally and globally, have driven a steady increase in type 2 diabetes rates in recent decades. To mark World Diabetes Day, Professor Jonathan Valabhji OBE, from the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, reflects on his 30 years of experience in the field, in clinical practice, in national leadership, and in clinical and epidemiological research.  

My background in Diabetes research and clinical practice 

I qualified as a doctor in 1990 from St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College, London. I undertook specialist training in diabetes, endocrinology, and general medicine in North-West London, and landed at Imperial College in 1997 to undertake my MD (Doctor of Medicine degree) as a British Heart Foundation Junior Research Fellow. In those early years, I was interested in cardiovascular disease in diabetes, which at that point was responsible for the majority of deaths in people with diabetes. My work centred on understanding the paradox in type 1 diabetes: although patients often displayed healthy cholesterol profiles, they were at elevated risk of heart attacks and strokes. I spent 3 years in a lipid laboratory, using ultracentrifugation (a technique used to separate and isolate particles based on their density) to isolate high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol particles from blood samples, to try to disentangle the paradox.  

Population-level progress in cardiovascular health  

While I like to think that some of that early research advanced the field a little, it was other epidemiological and societal factors that saw cardiovascular disease fall in people with diabetes over the next two decades. Public health initiatives, such as reduced smoking rates, and improved management of blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol, have collectively driven a marked decrease in cardiovascular complications, resulting in longer lifespans for people with diabetes. However, with this success came new challenges, as other and multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) have increasingly become leading causes of illness and death. This has complicated care for patients, healthcare professionals, and the NHS.  At the same time, obesity has driven younger onset of type 2 diabetes, contributing to accelerated development of MLTCs at younger ages. 

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From Aleppo to Imperial: One surgeon’s journey

Dr Hadi Alagha

Dr Hadi Alagha from the Department of Surgery and Cancer shares his inspiring journey of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon. Learn about his remarkable path from Aleppo to Imperial College London and the hurdles he encountered along the way.

My path has been anything but ordinary, shaped by a deep desire to make a difference.

My story starts in Syria, a home that I have not returned to since I left in 2012. At that time, I had successfully completed three years of undergraduate medicine at the University of Aleppo. Like many others, due to the war I had to leave behind my family, friends and memories. This experience ignited a fire in me to pursue my dream of becoming an academic orthopaedic surgeon.

After some searching, I found my way to the University of Debrecen in Hungary, where I joined as a third-year medical student. It was here that I discovered my passion for scientific research, leading me to complete a Master’s in Sports and Exercise Medicine at the University of Nottingham with distinction in 2016. By the time I graduated from medical school in 2018 summa cum laude, I ranked second among my peers, a proud moment that set the stage for my future.

Transforming hip replacement outcomes with machine learning

I chose to pursue my PhD at Imperial under the supervision of Professor Justin Cobb because of his pioneering work in introducing innovative technologies to the field of arthroplasty – surgery to restore the function of a joint. I hold Professor Cobb in high esteem as both a valued confidant and mentor, whose insights and support have greatly enriched my academic journey. I joined the PhD programme in Clinical Medicine Research at the MSK Lab in October 2018, and my journey was a thrilling ride. My doctoral thesis, titled “Predictive factors and outcomes in primary hip arthroplasty,” focused on developing and validating machine learning (ML) models to predict patient outcomes after hip replacement surgery.

Clinical practice and implant selection for hip disease requiring replacement often exhibit significant variability, making it difficult to predict outcomes. Differences among patients, surgeons, and units can obscure the effectiveness of certain approaches. Machine learning provides a powerful complement to traditional statistical methods, such as multivariate regression models, by handling large numbers of predictor variables and their complex interactions. This allows for more accurate forecasting of clinical outcomes.

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Breastfeeding and Breast Cancer: Exploring the potential link

PhD Sophia D'AlessandroOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is a crucial time to raise awareness about screening, treatment, and prevention of breast cancer. PhD student, Sophia D’Alessandro from the Department of Surgery and Cancer examines her research looking at the link between breastfeeding and the reduced risk of breast cancer in our latest blog.

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world, alongside prostate, lung and colorectal cancer. It is estimated that there are more than 150 new cases diagnosed every day. But why does breast cancer occur? We know cancer is a multifactorial disease caused by a variety of different factors, which can include mutations in key cancer-causing genes, and lifestyle-related risk factors such as age, being overweight, smoking, family history of breast cancer and hormone therapies. However, there are also factors that can reduce a person’s risk of breast cancer risk, such as breastfeeding. 

Current research suggests that the risk of developing breast cancer decreases by 4% for every 12 months of breastfeeding. But it’s not yet clear why. The primary function of the human breast is to produce nutrient rich milk for babies. Therefore, the complex structure of the breast is designed for this function. It is comprised of fatty adipose tissue, surrounding lobules and ducts. The lobules produce milk, and the ducts transport it to the nipple, where it can be expelled and fed to a baby. In addition to this, the ducts of the breast are lined by a layer of specialised cells known as epithelial cells. It has been shown previously that breast milk may contain some of these breast epithelial cells, which are then digested in the babies’ stomach and cause them no harm. However, around 85% of breast cancer cases arise from the epithelium, so it is thought that the loss of mutated breast epithelial cells through breastfeeding may play a role in reducing breast cancer risk.  

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Guide to Sober October: what’s in it for you?

David Nutt

This month, people worldwide will take on the 31-day ‘Sober October’ challenge, a movement that began in the UK to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, benefiting those with cancer. Even if you’re not officially participating, Sober October offers a chance to reset your body and rethink your relationship with alcohol. In our latest blog, Professor David Nutt from the Department of Brain Sciences shares expert tips on how to make the most of this healthy, alcohol-free month.

Sober October is here, and it’s the perfect opportunity to hit reset on your relationship with alcohol – whether you’re looking to completely abstain or simply cut down. Much like Dry January or Dry July, this month-long challenge is about taking a break from alcohol and reassessing its place in your life.

With alcohol consumption on the decline among Gen Z and Millennials, it’s clear that more and more people are recognising the benefits of taking a break from booze and now is the perfect time to jump on board.

Sober October is a global movement encouraging people to stop drinking for the month of October. For many, it’s a time to take a break and rest after summer’s social gatherings and prepare for the end of year holiday season with a clearer mind. It’s not just about abstinence; it’s also about fostering better health, improving mental clarity, and building positive habits for the future.

Progress not perfection

Stopping alcohol intake for a whole month can have major health benefits.  People who participated in previous abstinence challenges like Dry January have reported improved sleep (56%), weight loss (38%), and better mental health. Even those who didn’t make it through the full month still saw long-term reductions in alcohol intake and enhanced well-being, showing that it’s about progress, not perfection.  There are also likely to be measurable physiological improvements such as lowering your blood pressure if you are hypertensive, losing weight (as alcohol has more calories than most people imagine) and putting more money in your pocket – perfect for upcoming holiday shopping.

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The complex relationship between viruses and our immune system

Prof John TregoningVirus Appreciation Day, celebrated annually on 3 October, serves a dual purpose: to foster respect and understanding for viruses while raising awareness about their serious impacts on health. To mark the day, Professor John Tregoning from Imperial’s Department of Infectious Disease shares valuable insights into influenza viruses, highlighting their effects, the importance of vaccination, and ongoing research for universal vaccines against evolving strains in our latest blog.

Viruses have an enormous impact on human health, but they don’t only infect humans. Many viruses also infect animals, plants and even bacteria. Some viruses are quite promiscuous, infecting a wide range of animal species before passing on to humans through a process known as zoonotic transmission. One of the most problematic of these zoonotic infections is influenza virus.  

The main natural reservoir of influenza virus is wild birds, particularly ducks and geese. The virus can then transmit from these birds into domestic poultry, like chickens, and to livestock, such as pigs, before ultimately reaching people. In the past five years, a new strain of avian influenza has emerged with an ability to infect an even wider range of mammalian species. It has been detected in cattle in the US.  

Influenza, the disease caused by the virus, poses a substantial health burden. It resulted in nearly 15,000 deaths in the UK in the 2022-23 winter season. As well as death, it is a significant cause of hospitalisation and general illness – with a long tail of recovery. Additionally, influenza infection doubles the risk of heart attacks and strokes for up to a year after illness. Given these risks, getting an influenza vaccine this time of year is highly recommended. As I discovered researching my latest book Live Forever one of the simplest ways of extending your life is through vaccination. A vaccine will give you protection against the most severe forms of disease caused by the virus and protect you against subsequent illness.Vaccines train your body to recognise pathogens and fight them off. To do this, they make use of a facet of immunity called immune memory. When re-exposed to the same virus, your immune response activates faster and stronger, stopping the infection in its tracks. Several aspects of immune memory can prevent subsequent infections, but an important one are antibodies – this is a type of protein that is highly specific in what it can recognise and bind. When you are immunised with influenza vaccine, you make influenza virus specific antibodies that can stop the virus from infecting you. 

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