Beyond the Obvious: New Insights into Hypertension’s Underlying Mechanisms and Their Therapeutic Implications
Hypertension remains the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality worldwide. In this seminar, Professor Tom Guzik will revisit the complex pathogenesis of hypertension through the lens of Dr. Irvine Page’s Mosaic Theory, tracing its evolution to include emerging immunological and inflammatory mechanisms alongside classical hemodynamic mechanisms.
Professor Guzik will explore key experimental and translational studies that reveal how adaptive immune responses, particularly T cell and macrophage activation, drive vascular inflammation and contribute directly to elevated blood pressure. He will highlight the role of oxidative stress in generating immunogenic lipid adducts, such as isolevuglandins, which serve as critical links between redox imbalance and immune activation.
The seminar will also examine cytokine-driven inflammatory pathways in hypertension, supported by recent findings from human vascular tissue. These include evidence of perivascular T cell infiltration correlating with endothelial dysfunction and adverse clinical outcomes, reinforced by genetic insights from Mendelian randomisation analyses.
Further, Professor Guzik will discuss the emerging concept of immune–vascular–neural circuits, presenting new data on vascular–brain communication. He will conclude by highlighting novel therapeutic strategies targeting inflammation and immunity in hypertension, including findings from randomised trials on periodontal treatment. These insights support a revised, immunoinflammatory interpretation of the Mosaic Theory and suggest a paradigm shift in hypertension management—one that embraces immunomodulation to address residual cardiovascular risk.
Speaker bio
Professor Tomasz Guzik is Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and a Professor of Medicine at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. He previously held the Regius Chair of Physiology at the University of Glasgow. His research focuses on the interplay between inflammation and oxidative stress in vascular biology, particularly in the context of hypertension. His group has made seminal contributions to understanding oxidative stress and vascular dysfunction in humans (Circ Res, 2000; Circulation, 2002; JACC, 2008; J Clin Invest, 2022) and has been instrumental in defining the role of inflammation and adaptive immunity in hypertension, including pioneering novel therapeutic strategies tested in clinical trials (J Exp Med, 2007; Eur Heart J, 2019; Circulation, 2020; Circ Res, 2020).
Recent work from his team includes groundbreaking studies on neuroimmune reflexes in atherosclerosis (Nature, 2022; Immunity, 2025; Nat comm; 2025), mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in hypertension (Eur Heart J, 2023), and increased vascular risk following breast cancer chemotherapy (J Clin Invest, 2022). Prof Guzik has been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher (top 0.1% of scientists globally) by Clarivate Analytics from 2021 to 2024. He has published over 370 original research articles, with several of his top-cited papers receiving more than 1,400 citations (WoS h-index: 76; total citations: 25,500+). He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for research excellence, including the Arthur C. Corcoran Award in Hypertension (AHA, 2017), the J.J. Marshall Award in Cardiovascular Research (BSCR), and most recently, the R. Tigerstedt Lifetime Achievement Award (ISH, 2024). Since 2024, he has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Location
Please take the lifts in the Commonwealth Building to the 2nd floor. Room 2S2 – Teaching Room is located to the left of to lifts 1 & 2 and is swipe accessible for all Imperial staff. There are two sets of double doors.
