Royal Papworth Hospital Affiliated PI - Dr Joanna Pepke-Zaba

Joanna Pepke-Zaba

Consultant ; PhD FRCP

Email: Joanna.pepke-zaba@nhs.net

PA Name:  Carolyn Daniels

PA Email: carolyn.daniels1@nhs.net

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Biography

Joanna Pepke-Zaba, PhD, FRCP, is a consultant respiratory physician at Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge UK; director of Pulmonary Vascular Diseases Unit (PVDU) 2003-2019. PVDU was recognised and became a member of ERN-Lung in 2016. I was instrumental in organisation of the pulmonary hypertension (PH) service in the UK, specifically the National Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension programme. I have established research collaboration with the University of Cambridge, which is concentrating on translational programmes in the field of PH with a focus on CTEPH and PAH. In recognition, I was appointed as Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow in 2011 and Affiliated Associate Professor by the University of Cambridge in 2023. I have trained generations of MD/PhD students, research and clinical fellows. I have served on various international, scientific, educational committees including 2022 ESC/ERS PH Guidelines, World Symposia on PH (’03 ‘08’ ‘13 ‘19 ’24). I am a Founding Member and the Executive Board Member of the International Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension Association. I am a member of ERS-CRS Working Group and ERS Fellowships and Awards Working Group, I chair PVRI IDDI “Patient engagement and empowerment”. I am a section editor at JHLT.  I have published over 220 papers and book chapters; with an h index of 61. I was awarded: 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award ERS, 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award PVRI; 2020: “Knight of the Right Heart” Polish Cardiac Society. She is a member of BTS, ERS, ESC, IHLT, PVRI.

Research Approach:

My research programme is built on successful grants from the Industry and NIHR, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. The PVDU collaborated closely with Professor Nick Morrell at the University of Cambridge (http://www.med.cam.ac.uk/morrell/ ) on projects related to pulmonary vascular cell and molecular biology and the genetics of PAH and CTEPH. More recently we have established close collaboration with Dr Toshner Group (http://www.med.cam.ac.uk/toshner/) focusing on preclinical target identification and early phase trials in pulmonary vascular diseases.

I am member of scientific committees for several investigator driven and industry sponsored RCT and Registries. 

Our translational research programmes provide an environment to foster young researchers to investigate basic science questions with clinical impact. This gives a unique opportunity for scientific breakthroughs, technological advances and new treatments in the field of pulmonary hypertension with a specific focus on Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

The PVDU has an excellent record of highly rated publications in peer review journals. Papers published from the PVDU have raised awareness and improved our understanding of the epidemiology and risk factors for pulmonary hypertension (specifically in PAH/CTEPH).

Current projects:

1. A model for right ventricular reverse remodelling and ventricular interaction - cardiac magnetic resonance study of response to intervention in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.  co-supervisor of PhD
2. Quantitative Assessment of Pulmonary Vasculature as A Biomarker in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Disease (QVAC Study) project leading to further PhD thesis
3. GO-CTEPH Investigator driven RCT PEA vs BPA in selected CTEPH patient suitable for PEA and BPA managements; scientific board member ; due to start recruitment  at RPH Q3 2023
4. TEAM Registry: TrEatment Approach in the Multimodal era Registry (non-interventional, investigator-initiated); scientific board member ; due to start recruitment at RPH  in Q3 2023
5. Pulmonary Hypertension Global Patient Survey (PHGPS)  performed in collaboration with PVRI, PH Association(s) Europe, US, endorsed by ERN-Lung . This project will be a part of PhD.
6. Tasks Force 13 (pulmonary hypertension associated with lung diseases) at 7^th World Symposium on PH 2024;
7. ERS-Clinical Research Collaboration working group;
8. ERS Fellowships & Awards Working Group;
9. JHLT section editor

Selected Publication

1. 2022 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension | European Heart Journal | Oxford Academic (oup.com) Eur Heart J. 2022 Oct 11;43(38):3618-3731 
2. Right ventricular-pulmonary artery coupling in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. - Abstract - Europe PMC l J.Heart. 2022 Dec 22:heartjnl-2022-321770. 
3. Predictors of outcomes in mild pulmonary hypertension according to 2022 ESC/ERS Guidelines: the EVIDENCE-PAH UK study. Eur Heart J. 2023 Nov 21; 44(44): 4678–4691
4. Angiopoietin 2 and hsCRP are associated with pulmonary hemodynamics and long-term mortality respectively in CTEPH-Results from a prospective discovery and validation biomarker study - PubMed (nih.gov) J Heart Lung Transplant, 2023 Mar;42(3):398-405.
5. Illuminating the many faces of pulmonary hypertension - The Lancet Respiratory Medicine Joseph Newman and Joanna Pepke-Zaba. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. August 14, 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00291-6 
6. Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Lung Diseases ERJ accepted for publication Aug 2024.

Research collaborators/links you want added to your page:

http://www.med.cam.ac.uk/toshner/

https://www.cteph-association.org

https://pvrinstitute.org/media/42358/iddi-report-2021.pdf

World Symposia on Pulmonary Hypertension Association (wsphassociation.org)

ERS clinico research collaboration - Search (bing.com)

 The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation (jhltonline.org)