Leah Mursaleen
Leah is a doctoral researcher at the Centre for Nutraceuticals in the School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster. Her research is focused on investigating nanotechnology-based therapeutic approaches to iron-induced oxidative stress in Parkinson’s disease. In summary this involves using nano-meter sized carriers for brain delivery of antioxidants and iron chelators to protect against the cellular damage involved in the development and progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Her background is in Neuroscience; she achieved a BSc in Neuroscience with Cognitive Science and went on to complete an MRes in Neuroscience at the University of Sussex. For the past eight years she has also worked part-time in the research team at Cure Parkinson’s, a charity focused on research with the potential to slow, stop and reverse the progression of Parkinson’s disease. She strongly believes in working collaboratively with academics, clinicians, patients, charities and industry to advance lab-based research into clinical translation. Her research expertise cover areas of formulation science and combined delivery of drugs/nutraceuticals for neurodegeneration.
From left to right: Leah Mursaleen and Marta Gamez Fernandez.
Marta Gamez Fernandez
Marta is a doctoral researcher at the School of Life Sciences at the University of Westminster, exploring the interaction between iron and curcumin and its physiological consequences.
She graduated in Food Science and Technology and went on to read an MSc in Human Nutrition and Metabolism in Spain. She has accumulated over a decade of expertise in the private sector working as chief scientific officer for a dietetics and nutraceuticals company. Her role was centred on evidence-based product development and nutritional scientific updates.
Based on her experience in industry, she recognised that all initiatives need to be based on scientific evidence. Thus, she switched her job for an MRes at the University of Nottingham, to gain specific training in research by investigating the bioaccessibility of iron and zinc and the digestibility of proteins in plant-based burgers vs meat burgers.
Research keeps being her professional driving force and she is currently doing a PhD under the supervision of Prof. Mohammed Gulrez Zariwala within the Centre for Nutraceuticals. This project will enhance our understanding of the iron metabolism and curcumin pharmacology, and also assist in the optimisation of existing therapeutic strategies utilising iron and curcumin as supplements and food ingredients.
Helena Tiekou Lorinczova
Helena is a doctoral researcher at the Centre for Nutraceuticals, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster. Her research project focuses on assessing the effects of specific protein and fibre fractions on the dynamics of appetite hormone secretion and action. The aim is to identify the bioactive components and secondary metabolites of the macronutrient fractions that act upon appetite hormones and clarify the underlying mechanisms. A related objective is to seek to better understand how the gut microbiota's modulation by these specific protein and fibre fractions and metabolites affect the dynamics of appetite and satiety peripherally and centrally.
Helena previously obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Nutrition at the University of Westminster and a Master of Research degree at Imperial College London in Diabetes and Obesity Clinical Research. Her past research experience at Imperial College London involved developing a new 2D tissue culture model from mouse small intestinal organoids to enabling facile assays of metabolites, toxins and drugs previously unachievable in 3D organoids.
Helena also worked as a research assistant on two nutraceuticals focused human studies at the University of Westminster, gaining invaluable clinical and laboratory research skills such as participant recruitment, sample collection, sample processing, and sample analysis techniques, as well as publishing in peer-reviewed research journals.
From left to right: Helena Tiekou Lorinczova and Lucy Petagine.
Lucy Petagine
Lucy is a Doctoral Researcher at the Centre for Nutraceuticals in the School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster. Her interests are in how immune activation and inflammatory pathways are involved in the development of both acute and chronic diseases, and her PhD research project focuses on investigation into the inflammatory pathways involved in alcoholic liver disease. The aim of the project is to characterise the role of alcohol and inflammatory mediators in inducing cell toxicity in liver cells, specifically focusing on oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokine production and mitochondrial function.
Lucy studied for a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Science at Brunel University and then went onto complete a Master of Science in Immunology at Imperial College London. Her previous research at Imperial College London used an elderly murine model of respiratory syncytial virus infection to investigate the adaptive immune response to respiratory viral infection in the elderly, specifically focussing on the antibody response.
She is also an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Babatunde Aluko
Babatunde is a doctoral researcher at the Centre for Nutraceuticals, School of Life Sciences at the University of Westminster. He has been working on the application of lipidomics and the role of fatty acids in prostrate cancer. Lipidomics provides a unique opportunity to detect, both quantitatively and qualitatively, numerous individual lipid species in parallel, which informs us as to which individual lipid species contribute to an overall increase of total cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides (TAG) while lipids provide useful information to determining the metabolic pathways of altered lipids in prostate cancer. The project will help determine whether diet could potentially negate therapeutic efforts targeting cancer cell lipogenesis.
He is a Biomedical Scientist with specialisation in Clinical Biochemistry for over 20 years and has worked in various NHS trusts in the United Kingdom and also practiced in Nigeria. Prior to his professional practice, he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Science (Chemical Pathology) at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria and Master of Science degree at the University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom in Biomedical Science (Clinical Chemistry ). In 2019, he was awarded a full scholarship from Health Education England (HEE) to study Master of Science in Genomic medicine at the University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom. He was also awarded a full scholarship from Health Education England (HEE) to study Leadership and Management at the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), United Kingdom in 2016.
From left to right: Babatunde Aluko, Kiu Sum, and Hana Sediva.
Hana Sediva
Hana is a PhD student at the Centre for Nutraceuticals, School of Life Sciences, at the University of Westminster. Her PhD project centres on exploring the effects of technology, such as wearables and mobile apps, and behaviour change models and techniques on improving wellbeing of menopausal women. Ecological Momentary Assessment methodologies will be used to effectiveness of behaviour interventions on lifestyle factors, such as diet, physical activity, and psychological health. While Public Patient Involvement is also incorporated to provide valuable input and perspective from both groups of menopausal women and from various women’s health advocates and experts.
Hana has almost two decades of experience in the software industry, with companies such as Microsoft and Hitachi Solutions. She holds an MBA in Technology Management from the University of Washington and an MSc in Sports and Exercise Nutrition from the University of Westminster.
Kiu Sum
Kiu Sum is a Doctoral Researcher in Nutrition at the Centre for Nutraceuticals, School of Life Sciences at the University of Westminster. With a BSc (Hons) and MRes in Human Nutrition, Kiu has a research interest in public health nutrition, mobile health, nutritional behaviour. For her doctorate, Kiu uses a mixed-method approach to explore workplace nutrition and dietary behaviour and its impacts on doctors undertaking shift work.
Kiu also has a broad interest in pedagogy research and student engagement and is a Registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition (AfN) and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Kiu is also the Chair of the Student Section at The Nutrition Society, Vice-Chair of the South East Branch Committee of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, and the Student Officer at RAISE Network, where she also co-convenes the Engagement Assessment and the Early Career Researchers Special Interest Groups.
Ruchitha Venkatesh
Ruchitha is a a doctoral researcher at the Centre for Nutraceuticals in the School of Life Sciences, University of Wesminster, under the supervision of Prof. Mohammed Gulrez Zariwala, Dr. Sanjoy Deb (external) & Dr. Vinood Patel. Her research project is focused on exploring the neurocognitive and behavioural impact of iron deficiency and supplementation in trained female athletes and the neurocellular mechanisms behind this. She is using both human clinical trials and in-vitro experimentation to investigate this.
She has previously obtained a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences degree from the University of Hong Kong followed by a Master of Research degree in Translational Neuroscience from University College London. She also has industrial experience working as a Research Associate in a clinical trials research organisation. She is combining this experience together with being a sportswoman herself to investigate her chosen research topic. Her research specifically focuses upon female athletes, as this cohort is at a greater risk of iron deficiency compared to the general population and are typically underrepresented in sport and exercise studies.
She has published scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals as part of her previous work experience and hopes she can make further contributions to the field of life-sciences and learn even more along the way.
From left to right: Ruchitha Venkatesh and Manpreet Mujral.
Manpreet Mujral
Manpreet is a Doctoral Researcher at the Centre for Nutraceuticals in the School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster. Her research is focused on the gut microbiome, particularly on diversity, modulation, and its relationship with diet and exercise, particularly in ethnic minorities. Manpreet obtained a degree in Biomedical science at the University of Lincoln and went on to complete a Master of Science in Human Nutrition at the University of Surrey. Her previous research investigated the interactions between dietary iron intake and vitamin D health in South Asian and White European Caucasian female populations. Prior to this, her research was centred around obesity and cardiovascular risk markers in an under-40s population. This research directed her focus onto ethnic minorities due to the health disparities, heightened incidence and prevalence of metabolic and cardiovascular disease within these ethnic groups. She feels the lack of research in these communities warrants further research to better aid the understanding and management of these diseases within these overlooked groups.
Her PhD research is guided by Prof. Mohammed Gulrez Zariwala within the Centre for Nutraceuticals under direct supervision from Dr. Lewis Mattin whose research is primarily focused on metabolic regulation, time of day feeding, and weight management. She also has external collaborations (supervisor) Dr Ayazullah Safi from Birmingham City University whose research focus is on Sports, physical activity, and exercise science in relation to health, wellbeing and behaviour change.