Summary
Dr Ahmetaj-Shala is a BHF Research Fellow whose research focuses on 2D and 3D heterogenous cell-co-culture, including the use of vascular cells to develop vessel-prototypes on a chip. Blood vessels form an essential part of the circulatory system delivering blood and nutrients to our organs. Dysfunction in the vasculature is the major contributor of many cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Dr Ahmetaj-Shala's publications using human blood outgrowth vascular cells highlight their usefulness in studying vascular function non-invasively.
Dr Ahmetaj-Shala holds a PhD, MSc, BSc and most recently a MEd (Masters in Education) from Imperial College. Previously, she has been awarded the Wellcome Trust/ Imperial College Springboard Fellowship (2019), the prestigious Bülbring Award awarded by the British Pharmacological Society (2019) and the Imperial College London Value in People Award (2016). She has also received awards from numerous bodies including the British Physiological Society (Pfizer Prize), American Heart Association, The Magdi Yacoub Research Network, British Pharmacological Society and the National Pulmonary Hypertension Research Forum.
As well as research, Dr Ahmetaj-Shala is also the lead of the Public Engagement and Science Communications Team at the Organ-on-a-chip (OOAC) Technologies Network (Queen Mary's University). She is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching at Imperial College London and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Ahmetaj-Shala B, Kirkby NS, Knowles R, et al., 2015, Evidence that links loss of cyclooxygenase-2 with increased asymmetric dimethylarginine novel explanation of cardiovascular side effects associated with anti-inflammatory drugs, Circulation, Vol:131, ISSN:0009-7322, Pages:633-U113
Reed DM, Foldes G, Kirkby NS, et al., 2014, Morphology and vasoactive hormone profiles from endothelial cells derived from stem cells of different sources, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol:455, ISSN:1090-2104, Pages:172-177
Kelly P, Wang Z, Ahmetaj B, et al., 2014, Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 (DDAH2) regulates nitric oxide production, haemodynamics and vascular responsiveness under basal conditions and outcome in polymicrobial sepsis, Nitric Oxide-Biology and Chemistry, Vol:42, ISSN:1089-8603, Pages:130-130
Conference
Ahmetaj-Shala B, Kirkby NS, Knowles R, et al., 2015, Evidence That Links Loss of Cyclooxygenase-2 With Increased Asymmetric Dimethylarginine, Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), Pages:633-642, ISSN:0009-7322
Ahmetaj-Shala B, Kirkby NS, Al-yamani M, et al., 2013, Evidence That Links Cyclo-oxygenase-2 Inhibition With Increased Asymmetric Dimethylarginine: Novel Explanation of Cardiovascular Side Effects Associated With Anti-inflammatory Drugs, Scientific Sessions and Resuscitation Science Symposium of the American-Heart-Association, LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, ISSN:0009-7322