skip to content

Cambridge Cardiovascular

 

Research

I am interested in the molecular genetics of complex traits like hypertension and arterial stiffness. I am particularly interested in the phenotype-genotype correlations and have two major research projects

  1. Identifying risk alleles for aortic stiffness in healthy adults using high throughput genotyping platforms.
  2. Large artery stiffening in isolated systolic hypertensives and their offspring.

Arterial stiffness is highly heritable, but despite a clear genetic basis, the precise molecular pathways regulating stiffness remain largely undefined.

My current research is focused on the genome wide association study (GWAS) of arterial stiffness in young healthy adults from the Anglo-Cardiff Collaborative Trial (ACCT), and replication studies of GWAS regions in other populations in the UK and in India.

I have been actively involved with the CLEAREST and several large-scale community based studies including ACCT, ENIGMA in the UK, Hyderabad Nutrition, Indian Migrant and birth cohort studies at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in India. I also initiated and lead the collection of aortic tissue samples, and a new project with integrated genomics approach to identify genetic markers (expression quantitative trait loci, eQTLs) for large artery stiffening.

Publications

Key publications: 

The matrix proteins aggrecan and fibulin-1 play a key role in determining aortic stiffness. Yasmin, Maskari RA, McEniery CM, Cleary SE, Li Y, Siew K, Figg NL, Khir AW, Cockcroft JR, Wilkinson IB, O'Shaughnessy KM. Sci Rep. 2018 Jun 4;8(1):8550.

The age-dependent association between aortic pulse wave velocity and telomere length. McDonnell BJ, Yasmin, Butcher L, Cockcroft JR, Wilkinson IB, Erusalimsky JD, McEniery CM. J Physiol. 2017 Mar 1;595(5):1627-1635.

Influence of the central-to-peripheral arterial stiffness gradient on the timing and amplitude of wave reflections. Hickson SS, Nichols WW, Yasmin, McDonnell BJ, Cockcroft JR, Wilkinson IB, McEniery CM. Hypertens Res. 2016 Oct;39(10):723-729.

Mechanisms underlying elevated SBP differ with adiposity in young adults: the Enigma study. Middlemiss JE, Miles KL, McDonnell BJ, Yasmin, Maki-Petaja KM, Cockcroft JR, Wilkinson IB, McEniery CM; Enigma study investigators. J Hypertens. 2016 Feb;34(2):290-7.

Habitual exercise and blood pressure: age dependency and underlying mechanisms. McDonnell BJ, Maki-Petaja KM, Munnery M, Yasmin, Wilkinson IB, Cockcroft JR, McEniery CM. Am J Hypertens. 2013 Mar;26(3):334-41.

Common genetic variation in the 3'-BCL11B gene desert is associated with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and excess cardiovascular disease risk: the AortaGen Consortium. Mitchell GF, Verwoert GC, Tarasov KV, Isaacs A, Smith AV, Yasmin, ..., Levy D, Lakatta EG, Witteman JC. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2012 Feb 1;5(1):81-90.

The impact of birth weight on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in later life: the Enigma Study. Miles KL, McDonnell BJ, Maki-Petaja KM, Yasmin, Cockcroft JR, Wilkinson IB, McEniery CM; Enigma Study investigators. J Hypertens. 2011 Dec;29(12):2324-31.

Genome-wide association study identifies six new loci influencing pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure. Wain LV, Verwoert GC, O'Reilly PF, ..., Tobin MD, Elliott P, van Duijn CM. Nat Genet. 2011 Sep 11;43(10):1005-11.

Ethnic differences in arterial wave reflections and normative equations for augmentation index. Chirinos JA, Kips JG, Roman MJ, Medina-Lezama J, Li Y, Woodiwiss AJ, Norton GR, Yasmin, Van Bortel L, Wang JG, Cockcroft JR, Devereux RB, Wilkinson IB, Segers P, McEniery CM. Hypertension. 2011 Jun;57(6):1108-16.

Use of the oral contraceptive pill is associated with increased large artery stiffness in young women: the ENIGMA study. Hickson SS, Miles KL, McDonnell BJ, Yasmin, Cockcroft JR, Wilkinson IB, McEniery CM; ENIGMA Study Investigators. J Hypertens. 2011 Jun;29(6):1155-9.

The impact of cardiovascular risk factors on aortic stiffness and wave reflections depends on age: the Anglo-Cardiff Collaborative Trial (ACCT III). McEniery CM, Yasmin, Maki-Petaja KM, McDonnell BJ, Munnery M, Hickson SS, Franklin SS, Cockcroft JR, Wilkinson IB; Anglo-Cardiff Collaboration Trial Investigators. Hypertension. 2010 Oct;56(4):591-7.

The accuracy of central SBP determined from the second systolic peak of the peripheral pressure waveform. Hickson SS, Butlin M, Mir FA, Graggaber J, Cheriyan J, Khan F, Grace AA, Yasmin, Cockcroft JR, Wilkinson IB, McEniery CM; Anglo-Cardiff Collaboration Trial Investigators. J Hypertens. 2009 Sep;27(9):1784-8.

Aortic calcification is associated with aortic stiffness and isolated systolic hypertension in healthy individuals. McEniery CM, McDonnell BJ, So A, Aitken S, Bolton CE, Munnery M, Hickson SS, Yasmin, Maki-Petaja KM, Cockcroft JR, Dixon AK, Wilkinson IB; Anglo-Cardiff Collaboration Trial Investigators. Hypertension. 2009 Mar;53(3):524-31.

Senior Research Associate
 Dr  Yasmin

Affiliations

Classifications: 
Person keywords: 
GWAS
hypertension
arterial stiffness