Ceramide-C16 and cardiovascular disease

Project researcher: Dr Daniel Foran, Academic Foundation Programme

During his post as an Academic Foundation doctor, Daniel worked on a number of projects. 

Ceramide-C16 and cardiovascular disease

Daniel’s primary project is: The Effect of Ceramide-C16 on Myocardial Insulin Signalling and RedOx State in Cardiovascular Disease (Antoniades Group; PI: Murray Polkinghorne). The project builds on a body of research showing that obesity and diabetes are well-established risk-factors for cardiovascular disease. 

Adipose tissue is a source of bioactive molecules that can directly regulate myocardial and vascular cellular function. States of metabolic dysfunction can cause dysfunctional adispose tissue to release pro-inflammatory adipocytokines. These modulate myocardial and vascular endothelial function and promote cardiovascular disease including atherosclerosis.

Work by the Antoniades Group has shown that vascular insulin resistance causes increased vascular oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in the presence of insulin; vascular insulin resistance thus acts as a key mediator of atherosclerosis progression. 

The project Daniel works on uses ex-vivo experimental techniques to evaluate how Ceramide-C16 modulates myocardial and vascular endothelial insulin signalling and RedOx states. 

Additional projects

During his Academic Foundation post, Daniel also worked on: 

• Quality Improvement Projects, namely ‘An Audit of Intraoperative Hypothermia Rates in Adults Undergoing Emergency General Surgery’ and ‘Evaluation of the Efficacy of Preoperative and Intraoperative Forced-Air Warming on Achieving Intraoperative Normothermia’;
• The Foundation Education Leads (FELs) Programme, evaluating the efficacy of Foundation doctor-coordinated teaching in improving doctors’ accumulated teaching hours; ARCP compliance rates; and curriculum coverage;
• The Medical Virtual Simulation (MedViS) Programme, validating the efficacy of near-peer-led simulation, in a non-volunteer cohort, at: a) increasing final-year medical student confidence in required GMC competencies, and b) enabling Foundation doctors to achieve Foundation curriculum outcomes;
• The University of Oxford Gamified Teaching Programme, evaluating the impact of game-based teaching style on exam performance and learner experience compared to traditional didactic teaching (non-randomised, cross-over trial).

July 2023