Diego Villar

Dr. Diego Villar is a Non-clinical Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London's Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. His laboratory integrates genomics, epigenetics, and bioinformatics to investigate myocardial gene regulation mechanisms and their implications in cardiovascular disease, while also exploring evolutionary adaptations in African mole-rats through comparative genomics.

• PhD in Molecular Biology
• Postdoctoral training in neurodegeneration
• Established BHF-funded independent research group

Research focuses on transcriptional dynamics in mammals through:

• Functional genomics of non-coding elements
• Cardiovascular epigenetic profiling
• Evolutionary enhancer analysis

Recent publications examine DNA methylation networks in mammalian traits, lineage-specific adaptations in subterranean species, and regulatory element contributions to cardiovascular pathology. Key projects include characterizing myocardial enhancers with disease-associated variants and exploring stress resistance mechanisms in hypoxia-adapted rodents.

Scientific recognitions include:

• British Heart Foundation Basic Science Fellowship (2018)
• EMBO Short Term Fellowships (2016, 2009)
• Ramon y Cajal Merit Award (2016)
• CRUK Travel Award (2012)

Current supervision includes:

• Dr. Stephanie Frost (BHF-funded Postdoctoral Scientist)
• Mr. Yu Huang (Regenerative Medicine MSc student)
• Alumni: Daniel Pavon Heredia (CONACYT MSc) and Yiling Wan (undergraduate project)