.jpg "Akif A. Khawaja, PhD photo")
Research Associate
Imperial College London
Akif Khawaja PhD is a Research Associate at the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) in Imperial College London. He obtained his PhD in Immunology at University College London, where he examined the role of neutrophils in autoimmune rheumatic disease (ARD) and the modulatory effects of endothelial-neutrophil interactions on ARD-associated IgG-mediated neutrophil activation. Dr Khawaja then moved to the NHLI in October 2017, where he investigated how HIV antiretrovirals impact endothelial function and endothelial-platelet interactions, to better understand the mechanisms underlying the increased cardiovascular risk associated with some antiretroviral drugs. In April 2021, Dr Khawaja was awarded a Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Joint Research Committee clinical fellowship to help transition his research towards a clinical interface. His fellowship project aims to study endothelial colony-forming cells isolated from people living with HIV to determine whether viral status and/or antiretroviral therapies alter endothelial function in ways that could increase risk of cardiovascular disease, directly in patient populations under more ‘real world’ settings.
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM