Dr Vahitha Abdul Salam

Background

Vahitha Abdul Salam graduated with First Class Honors in Pharmacy from the National University of Malaysia, where she received the gold medal for being among the top graduates in the country. She then secured a prestigious joint scholarship from the Malaysian government and an Overseas Research Scholarship from the Universities of UK to pursue a PhD at Imperial College London. Under the supervision of Prof. Martin Wilkins and Dr. Robert Edwards, she specialised in cardiovascular proteomics, focusing on mass spectrometry-based biomarker discovery for cardiovascular diseases. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research led to the discovery and patenting of two biomarkers for assessing heart failure and coronary artery disease. She also pioneered label-free proteomics methods to identify druggable targets in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a rare and severe condition. Together with Dr. Beata Wojciak-Stothard, Vahitha investigated the role of Chloride Intracellular Channel Proteins (CLICs), identified through her proteomics research, in vascular pathobiology of PAH. This interdisciplinary work, integrating proteomics, molecular and cellular biology, and in vivo disease models, earned her the European Young Investigator Award from Pfizer. In 2020, Vahitha joined the William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI) as a Lecturer in Vascular Pharmacology at the Centre for Cardiovascular Medicine and Device Innovation, where she established her independent research group under the Barts Charity’s Rising Stars Lectureship Programme. She has since been promoted to Senior Lecturer, Group Leader, and Deputy Dean for Global Engagement and Partnerships at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. Beyond her research, she co-leads the Drug Design Module (BMD358) for undergraduate students and supervises research projects for PhD, Master's, and undergraduate students. Her current research focuses on treating vascular disorders, with an emphasis on elucidating the role of Chloride Intracellular Channel Proteins (CLICs) in vascular remodelling. Her work also includes AI-driven drug development, proteomics-based biomarker and drug discovery, and investigating the impact of microplastics on cardiovascular health. Vahitha serves on the editorial boards of Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine and Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology and is an ad-hoc reviewer for several leading journals, including Circulation, Circulation Research, Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, and the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Research Interests

Vascular dysfunction is a critical early indicator and a key contributor to the development of cardiovascular diseases and cancer, which together represent the leading causes of death worldwide. It involves impairments in the proper functioning of blood vessels, affecting the endothelium (the inner lining of blood vessels), smooth muscle function, and overall blood flow regulation. This dysfunction is primarily driven by endothelial damage, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation, leading to conditions such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure. Our laboratory aims to uncover the mechanisms underlying vascular dysfunction, develop novel diagnostic tools, and innovate treatment strategies to prevent and manage these conditions.

Current Projects

Publications