Tian Zhao
British Heart Foundation Intermediate Clinical Research Fellow
Associate Principal Investigator
Email: txz20@cam.ac.uk
Tian is a British Heart Foundation Intermediate Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge and an Interventional Cardiology Consultant at Royal Papworth Hospital. His primary research interests focus on therapeutically targeting inflammation in atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction, as well as deep immunophenotyping in patients. He also has a strong interest in the role of cell-free DNA in cardiovascular disease and aortopathies.
Tian graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA in Medical Science before completing his clinical training at King’s College London (MBBS). He then worked as an Academic Foundation Doctor in the lab of Prof. Ajay Shah, before returning to Cambridge for an Academic Clinical Fellowship. During this time, he completed an MPhil in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Cambridge. He subsequently undertook a PhD in the lab of Prof. Ziad Mallat, focusing on mechanistic clinical trials and immune modulation. He was awarded the British Atherosclerosis Society Young Investigator of the Year for his work. Following his PhD, Tian was appointed a British Heart Foundation Clinical Lecturer, where he worked on experimental medicine clinical trials, single-cell RNA sequencing, and the development of novel approaches to studying human atherosclerotic tissues.
Research Approach:
Translational medicine. Experimental medicine trials. Mechanistic studies in patients using single-cell RNA sequencing and cell culture techniques.
Current projects:
- Immune modulation after acute myocardial infarction
- Immune modulation of tissue resident immune cells
- The effect of interleukin-2 on tissue based immune cells
- Antigen specificity in cardiovascular disease
- The use of cell-free DNA in coronary disease
- The use of cell-free DNA in aortic disease
Selected Publication:
- AG Case, JW O’Brien, FTW Charlier, AB Al-Hadithi, MM Chowdhury, S Newland, Z Huang, G Basatemur, X Zhao, AI Awopetu, J Boyle, NR. Evans, Z Mallat, TX Zhao. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting depletes macrophages and triggers inflammation in the single-cell immune landscape of human atherosclerosis. ATVB. 2025. In press
- A.G. Case, J.W. O’Brien, Y. Lu, F.T.W. Charlier, X. Zhao, Y. Weng, L. Masters, Z.K. Tuong, R. Sriranjan, J. Cheriyan, C. Kemper, M.R. Clatworthy, Z. Mallat, T.X. Zhao. Low-dose interleukin 2 induces clonal expansion of BACH2-repressed effector regulatory T cells following acute coronary syndrome. Nature Cardiovascular Research 2025. In press
- M Takaoka, X Zhao, HY Lim, G Magnussen, PRSchrank, WS Ong, D Tsiantoulas, F Sommer, SK Mohanta, J Harrison, Y Meng, L Laurans, F Wu, Y Lu, L Masters, SA Newland, L Denti, M Hong, M Chajadine, M Juonala, JS Koskinen, M Kähönen, K Pahkala, SP Rovio, J Mykkänen, R Thomson, T Kaisho, AJR Habenicht, TX Zhao, M Nus, C Ruhrberg, S Taleb, JW Williams, OT Raitakari, V Angeli, Z Mallat. Early intermittent hyperlipidaemia alters tissue macrophages to fuel atherosclerosis. Nature 2024;
- TX Zhao, RS Sriranjan, ZK Tuong, Y Lu, AP Sage, Ml Nus, A Hubsch, F Kaloyirou, E Vamvaka, J Helmy, M Kostapanos, N Jalaludeen, D Klatzmann, A Tedgui, JHF Rudd, SJ Horton, BJP Huntly, SP. Hoole, SP Bond, M R Clatworthy, J Cheriyan, Z Mallat. Regulatory T cell response to low-dose interleukin-2 in ischemic heart disease. N Engl J Med Ev 2021
- TX Zhao, M Aetesam-Ur-Rahman, AP. Sage, S Victor, R Kurian, S fielding, Y Chiu, MA. Mckie, SP. Hoole, Z Mallat. Rituximab in Patients with Acute ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction: an Experimental Medicine Safety Study. Cardiovascular Research. April 2021.
Research collaborators/links:
Ziad Mallat – UoC
Nick Evans – UoC
Stephen Hoole - RPH
