Staff Profile

I am a cardiology registrar and academic trainee in the North-East of England. I completed my MBBS and MRes in Newcastle University, and have recently completed an NIHR-funded Academic Clinical Fellowship in cardiology (2021-2024).

I secured funding from the British Heart Foundation for a 3-year Clinical Research Training Fellowship, and have stepped out of clinical cardiology training for 3 years to complete this project (2024-2027).

Our group investigates the role of the immune system in heart disease. We study immune cells in patients with heart attacks and heart failure using state of the art techniques, both in the lab (spectral flow cytometry) and the clinic (cardiac MRI). We are also interested in the role of latent cytomegalovirus infection on the response of T-cells to heart disease.

During my BHF-funded PhD project, I will be studying leucocytes, particularly T-lymphocytes, in a diverse group of patients with heart failure. I will use spectral flow cytometry and other in vitro techniques, alongside serial cardiac MRI and direct analysis of heart tissue. I hope to identify a subset of "inflammatory" T-lymphocytes which contribute to myocardial fibrosis and adverse remodeling in heart failure, and may be rational targets for immunotherapies.

• Articles

  • Georgiopoulos G, Kraler S, Mueller-Hennessen M, Delialis D, Mavraganis G, Sopova K, Wenzl FA, Raber L, Biener M, Stahli BE, Maneta E, Spray L, Iglesias JF, Coelho-Lima J, Tual-Chalot S, Muller O, Mach F, Frey N, Duerschmied D, Langer HF, Katus H, Roffi M, Camici GG, Mueller C, Giannitsis E, Spyridopoulos I, Luscher TF, Stellos K, Stamatelopoulos K. Modification of the GRACE Risk Score for Risk Prediction in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes. JAMA Cardiology 2023, 8(10), 946-956.
  • Loh SX, Ekinci Y, Spray L, Jeyalan V, Olin T, Richardson G, Austin D, Alkhalil M, Spyridopoulos I. Fractalkine Signalling (CX₃CL1/CX₃CR1 Axis) as an Emerging Target in Coronary Artery Disease. J. Clin. Med 2023, 12(14), 4821.
  • Kateryna, Tual-Chalot S, Mueller-Hennessen M, Vlachogiannis N, Georgiopoulos G, Biener M, Sachse M, Turchinovich A, Polycarpou-Schwarz M, Spray L, Maneta E, Bennaceur K, Mohammad A, Richardson GD, Gatsiou A, Langer HF, Frey N, Stamatelopoulos K, Heineke J, Duerschmied D, Giannitsis E, Spyridopoulos I, Stellos K. Effector T cell chemokine IP-10 predicts cardiac recovery and clinical outcomes post-myocardial infarction. Frontiers in Immunology 2023, 14, 1177467.
  • Al-Atta A, Spray L, Mohammed A, Shmeleva E, Spyridopoulos I. Arginine Vasopressin Plays a Role in Microvascular Dysfunction After ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Journal of the American Heart Association 2023, 12(18), e030473.
  • Bawamia B, Spray L, Wangsaputra VK, Bennaceur K, Vahabi S, Stellos K, Kharatikoopaei E, Ogundimu E, Gale CP, Keavney B, Maier R, Hancock H, Richardson GD, Austin D, Spyridopoulos I. Activation of telomerase by TA-65 enhances immunity and reduces inflammation post myocardial infarction Randomized Pilot Trial. GeroScience 2023, 45, 2689-2705.
  • Coelho-Lima J, Georgiopoulos G, Ahmed J, Adil Syeda, Gaskin D, Bakogiannis C, Sopova k, Ahmed F, Ahmed H, Spray L, Richardson G, Bagnall A, Stellos K, Stamatelopoulos K, Spyridopoulos I. Prognostic value of admission high-sensitivity troponin in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Heart BMJ 2021, 107(23), 1881-1888.