Vimal Karani

Professor Vimal Karani is a Professor in Nutrigenetics & Nutrigenomics at the University of Reading, leading roles as Programme Director for undergraduate nutrition degrees and Deputy Director of the Institute for Food, Nutrition & Health (IFNH). He holds positions such as Module Convenor for Lifestyle, Nutrigenetics and Personalised Nutrition, and Library Representative for the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences. His academic background includes a PhD in Molecular Genetics and advanced training in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Research focuses on gene-nutrient interactions in metabolic/cardiovascular diseases, leveraging genetic epidemiology, statistical genetics, and molecular biology. Key projects include the GeNuIne Collaboration (multi-ethnic precision nutrition studies) and D-CarDia Collaboration (Mendelian Randomization analysis on vitamin D and cardiovascular outcomes). He has over 120 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals like Nature Genetics and The Lancet.

His awards include the 2023 UK-Malaysia Education Partnership Award and 2020 UK Nutrition Society Silver Medal. Funding sources include the MRC, GCRF, BHF, and others. Professional affiliations include the Scottish Government’s Scientific Advisory Board, Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and editorial roles in journals like Nutrition & Metabolism.

External activities include External Examiner roles, PI of GeNuIne, and REF reviewer. His work integrates multi-omics data with AI/machine learning to predict cardiometabolic risks, emphasizing global collaborations in lower-middle-income countries.