معرفی
Dr Meritxell Nus is a British Heart Foundation Intermediate Research Fellow and Associate Principal Investigator at the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart & Lung Research Institute, University of Cambridge. Her work bridges immunology, cardiovascular disease, and microbiome research with a focus on atherosclerosis mechanisms.
Her educational background includes a PhD from Universidad Complutense de Madrid on functional food and oxidative stress in atherosclerosis, followed by postdoctoral training at Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) where she developed the first mouse model of aortic calcific stenosis. She later joined Prof. Ziad Mallat's lab at Cambridge to investigate diet-immune interactions in cardiovascular disease.
Dr Nus pioneered the discovery that Marginal Zone B cells protect against atherosclerosis through regulation of T follicular helper cells. Her current research examines how diet and gut microbiota modulate this B-T cell axis, with emphasis on metabolic pathways driving T follicular helper cell function. This work integrates advanced models of immune cell interactions, microbiome manipulation, and high-fat diet challenges.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on lymphocyte interactions in atherosclerosis, with increasing incorporation of advanced imaging techniques (PET/MRI), neural network diagnostics, and microbiome-targeted interventions. Key themes include B-T cell crosstalk, cytokine signaling (IL-2, IL-21), and translational applications of immunomodulation.
- BHF Intermediate Research Fellowship
- BHF Project Grant (FS/20/23/34784): Metabolic pathways to Tfh differentiation
- BHF Project Grant (PG/22/10898): Targeting gut microbiota-adaptive immune axis
- LeDucq Foundation Mini Grant (20CVD03)
- Spanish Royal Academy of Doctors Prize
- National Academy of Pharmacy Prize
Dr Nus leads multiple active grants totaling significant research funding. Her collaborative network includes Prof. Ziad Mallat (Cambridge), Prof. Christoph Reinhardt (Mainz), Dr Jason Tarkin (Cambridge), Dr Michelle Linterman (Babraham), and Dr Helle Jorgensen (Cambridge). Current projects investigate metabolic drivers of T follicular helper cells and gut microbiota modulation as therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis.
Her research group operates within the Cardiovascular Health division of the Dahdaleh Institute, utilizing advanced models of atherosclerosis, immune cell profiling, and microbiome analysis. Future work focuses on translating mechanistic insights into clinical applications for cardiovascular disease prevention.
