Nirmala Markandu

Nirmala Markandu is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London's Wolfson Institute of Population Health, affiliated with the Centre for Public Health & Policy. She holds a nursing qualification and has extensive clinical experience in renal, cardiovascular, and metabolic medicine. Her career includes roles at Charing Cross Hospital Medical School and St George's University of London, where she managed clinical trials and pioneered nurse-led hypertension services. At Queen Mary since 2009, she contributed to national hypertension treatment studies while working part-time. She is a Blood Pressure UK charity trustee and hypertension specialist advisor, addressing public and professional queries on blood pressure management.

Her research focuses on salt reduction's impact on hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly in UK Asian and Black communities and developing countries. She emphasizes community-based prevention strategies and improving CVD outcomes in marginalized groups. Her clinical trials explore salt's effects on blood pressure and kidney health, with notable studies on Black hypertensives and patients with diabetes.

She organizes national hypertension management workshops for healthcare professionals and participates in public health events, including blood pressure screening initiatives. Her work bridges clinical research and public health advocacy, aiming to reduce CVD disparities through evidence-based interventions.