Dr Ingrid Dumitriu is a Visiting Reader in Cardiovascular Immunology in the Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute. Her research interrogates the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in sustaining inflammation or the resolution of inflammation in cardiovascular diseases, cancer and autoimmunity. (additional affiliation: Reader in Cardiovascular Immunology, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham)
Featured publications:
Ketelhuth D.F.J., Lutgens E., Bäck M., Binder C.J., Van den Bossche J., Daniel C., Ingrid E. Dumitriu, Hoefer I., Libby P., O’Neill L., Weber C., and Evans P.C. Immunometabolism and atherosclerosis: perspectives and clinical significance: a position paper from the Working Group on Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology of the European Society of Cardiology. Cardiovascular Research 115(9): 1385-1392, 2019 (Editor’s Choice)
Baruah P., Bullenkamp J., Wilson P.O.G., Lee M., Kaski J.C. and Ingrid E. Dumitriu. TLR9 mediated tumour-stroma interactions in human papilloma virus (HPV)-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma up-regulate PD-L1 and PD-L2. Frontiers in Immunology; 10: 1644, July 2019
Bullenkamp J., Dinkla S., Kaski J.C. and Ingrid E. Dumitriu. Targeting T cells to treat atherosclerosis: odyssey from bench to bedside. European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy; 2(3): 194-199, 2016 (Editor’s choice)
Dinkla S., van Cranenbroek B., van der Heijden W.A., He X., Wallbrecher R., Ingrid E. Dumitriu, van der Ven A.J., Bosman G.J., Koenen H.J. and Joosten I. Platelet-derived microparticles inhibit IL-17 production by regulatory T cells through P-selectin. Blood; 127(16): 1976-1986, 2016
Ingrid E. Dumitriu. The life (and death) of CD4+CD28null T cells in inflammatory diseases. Immunology; 146(2): 185-193, 2015
Kovalcsik E., Antunes R.F., Baruah P., Kaski J.C. and Ingrid E. Dumitriu. Proteasome-mediated reduction in pro-apoptotic molecule Bim renders CD4+CD28null T cells resistant to apoptosis in acute coronary syndrome. Circulation; 131(8): 709-720, 2015
Ford C.A., Petrova S., Pound J.D., Willems J., Melville L., Paterson M., Farnworth S.L., Gallimore A.M., Cuff S., Wheadon H., Dobbin E., Ogden C.A., Ingrid E. Dumitriu, Dunbar D.R., Murray P.G., Rucker D., Allen J.E., Hume D.A., van Rooijen N., Goodlad J., Freeman T. and Gregory C.D. Oncogenic properties of apoptotic tumor cells in aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Current Biology; 25(5): 577-588, 2015
Baruah P., Lee M., Wilson P., Odutoye T., Williamson P., Hyde N., Kaski J.C. and Ingrid E. Dumitriu. Impact of p16 status on pro- and anti-angiogenesis factors in head and neck cancers. British Journal of Cancer; 113(4): 653-659, 2015
Ingrid E. Dumitriu, Baruah P., Finlayson C.J., Loftus I.M., Antunes R.F., Lim P., Bunce N. and Kaski J.C. High levels of costimulatory receptors OX40 and 4-1BB characterise CD4+CD28null T cells in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Circulation Research; 110(6): 857-869, 2012, (highlighted in Editorial, Olofsson P.S., Circulation Research, 110(6): 800-801, 2012)
Baruah P., Lee M., Odutoye T., Williamson P., Hyde N., Kaski J.C. and Ingrid E. Dumitriu. Decreased levels of alternative co-stimulatory receptors OX40 and 4-1BB characterise T cells from head and neck cancer patients. Immunobiology; 217(7): 669-675, 2012
Additional publications available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=dumitriu+ie
Dr Dumitriu joined St George’s in 2008 as a Lecturer in Immunology, progressed to Senior Lecturer in 2011 and to Reader in 2015. Prior to this, she was a postdoctoral research fellow at Imperial College London and at the MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh. During her postdoctoral work, she worked on regulatory T (Treg) cells in animal models of autoimmune disorders and on Treg induction in lung cancer. She was awarded her PhD in Immunology at the San Raffaele DIBIT Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy. Her PhD thesis on HMGB1 release from dendritic cells and its role in T cell activation led to seminal publications and was awarded the PBI International Prize by the Italian Society of Immunology.
Dr Dumitriu is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology. She is a member (elected) of the Nucleus Group of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Group on Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology. She is also a member of the British Atherosclerosis Society, European Atherosclerosis Society, British Society for Immunology, ESC Working Group on Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology and ESC Working Group on Peripheral Circulation.
Dr Dumitriu reviews grants and fellowships for national (British Heart Foundation, The Wellcome Trust, MRC, BBSRC) and international (European Research Council, ANR France, Austrian Science Fund, Academy of Finland, Health Research Board Ireland, KAW Foundation Sweden) funders. She is a Review Editor on the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Inflammation and Review Editor on the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine and a peer reviewer for more than 20 international journals.
Dr Dumitriu's research group investigates the pathophysiology of inflammatory diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disorders such as atherosclerosis and arrhythmia; cancer; autoimmune disorders; chronic kidney disease; neurologic conditions) at cellular and molecular level to gain an in-depth view of underlying mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and atherosclerosis is a major cause of cardiovascular disease. Innate and adaptive immune cells (such as T cells, regulatory T cells) infiltrate atherosclerotic plaques and influence plaque development and progression. Treatments that specifically target the immune cells in atherosclerosis are not currently available.
Dr Dumitriu has set up patient-orientated research programmes that aim to apply this knowledge to improve the risk stratification, selection into clinical trials, management and outcomes of patients with cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders.
Dr Dumitriu’s research involves analyses of inflammatory pathways and immune cells in patients, healthy individuals and animal models and employs several techniques (multi-colour flow-cytometry, cell-sorting, analysis of effector and regulatory T-cell function, transcriptome profiling, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, etc.).
British Heart Foundation:
- Project grant on T cells in atrial fibrillation; Principal Investigator; April 2017-2020; £299,559
- Project grant on CD4+CD28null T cells in acute coronary syndrome; Principal Investigator; 3 years (August 2014-2017); £191,385
- Project grant on regulatory lymphocytes in human atherosclerosis; Principal Investigator; 3 years (October 2013- November 2016); £191,731
- Project grant on co-stimulatory receptors in CD4+CD28null T cells in coronary artery disease; Principal Investigator; 2 years (March 2011 - April 2013), £135,274
Other funding:
Immunitaet und Seele Foundation, Germany (co-Investigator and research supervisor)
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (co-Investigator and research supervisor)
St George’s Hospital Charity
Professor Christopher Gregory (MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh)
Professor Federica Marelli-Berg (William Harvey Research Institute, QMUL, London)
Dr Danilo Norata (University of Milan, Italy)
Dr Davide Martino (University of Calgary, Canada)
Professor Juan Carlos Kaski (St. George’s, University of London)
Professor John A. Camm (St. George’s, University of London)
Professor Mary Sheppard (St. George’s, University of London)
Professor Mark Edwards (St. George’s, University of London)
Professor Judith Cartwright (St. George’s, University of London)
Professor Guy Whitley (St. George’s, University of London)
Professor Ian Loftus (Vascular Surgery, St. George’s, University of London)
Professor Peter Holt (Vascular Surgery, St. George’s, University of London)
Mr Michael Lee (Head and Neck Unit, St George’s Hospital NHS Trust London)
Dr Debashish Banerjee (St George’s Hospital NHS Trust London)
Dr Dumitriu is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare and Biomedical Education.
She supervises PhD and MD(Res) students and has supervised MRes and BSc students.