CVCTU Core Team
Professor Amrita Ahluwalia
Director of the CVCTU and Professor of Vascular Pharmacology
Prof Ahluwalia is the Director of the Cardiovascular Clinical Trials Unit (CVCTU), a branch of the Barts Clinical Trials Unit. Under Prof Ahluwalia’s leadership, the CVCTU has been established to manage and coordinate clinical trials with robust systems to ensure the highest quality standards of conduct and delivery of cardiovascular clinical trials and is funded by the Barts Charity Cardiovascular Research Programme.
Dr. Dan Jones
CVCTU Clinical Senior Lecturer - Clinical Lead for Intervention Studies
Dr. Ajay Gupta
CVCTU Clinical Senior Lecturer - Lead for Population Health and Therapeutic Trials
Ajay’s research to date has been in a broader field of preventive cardiovascular and metabolic medicine with a particular focus on hypertension, statin therapy, and diabetes. He has extensive experience of population health research, clinical trials design and management, and has been associated with several large phase-3 clinical trials, such as ASCOT. He has been on the end-point and adjudication committees of a few clinical trials and studies, such as PREMIUM, SABRE, and ORBITA. When working in Imperial College, he gained substantial experience in analyses of large databases. Another research interest of Ajay is on reporting of drug-related adverse events in trials, and how are they captured in databases.
Jessica Adams
CVCTU Trials Unit Manager
I manage the CVCTU team and oversee day-to-day operations for ongoing studies and the adoption of new studies.
Annastazia Learoyd
Senior Clinical Trials Statistician
A neurobiologist by background with a PhD from University of Nottingham studying the effect of infection on ischemic stroke, I became a medical statistician in 2020. I have since completed an MSc in Medical Statistics from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and worked at the Unit for Medical Statistics in Kings College London. My experience includes a range of Phase II and Phase III clinical trials examining novel drugs, cell therapies and health technologies in different diseases/settings. I joined the CVCTU as a Senior Statistician in June 2023.
Georgia Mannion-Krase
Senior Data Manager
Georgia has 11 years of clinical trials experience, covering diverse settings and a range of trial types and medical areas, specializing in data management. Currently leading the data management team at CVCTU, Georgia focuses on maintaining data integrity and efficiency.
In addition to data management, Georgia has contributed to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) enhancements within clinical trials. This reflects their commitment not only to technical aspects but also to fostering inclusivity in the field.
Georgia has a reputation for meticulousness, innovation, and dedication. As they continue to lead CVCTU’s data management team, Georgia remains committed to excellence in data management and advancing the clinical trials landscape.
Elli Enayat
Senior Clinical Trials Coordinator
I have joined the WHRI CVCTU team in January 2024. I have extensive experience in both clinical trial management and bench work across various disease areas.
I have previously managed observational and interventional trials and studies in both primary and secondary care at UCL, UCLH and King’s College London.
Emily Kirkpatrick
Senior Trial Coordinator
I joined the WHRI CVCTU team as the BRC Senior Clinical Trials Coordinator, having previously worked at Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UCLH and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine specialising in Data Management, Trial Coordination and Project Management.
Jane Field
Clinical Trial Coordinator
Jane rejoined the CVCTU team in October 2023, and is Trial Coordinator for the SCRATCH-HTN study, an MHRA regulated trial using a device (like a TENS machine) which aims to reduce uncontrolled high blood pressure. Jane has worked in clinical research since 2001, having worked for Pfizer, Novo Nordisk and IQVIA, and also with the Imperial Clinical Trials Unit (ICTU) and Cancer Prevention Trials Unit (CPTU). Jane has expertise in in all aspects of clinical trial planning, set up, conduct, analysis and publication.
Nikeeta Gurung
Clinical Trials Coordinator
I became a part of CVCTU in December 2023, stepping into the role of Clinical Trials Coordinator. My expertise lies in setup and management of clinical trials within our dynamic team.
Yasmin Choudhury
Clinical Trials Coordinator
I joined CVCTU as a Clinical Trials Coordinator in July 2024. I have worked on various clinical trials throughout my career ranging from women's health, cancer and cardiovascular studies. I coordinate the set-up and day to day running of trials.
Natasha Rodrigues
Data Manager
I recently joined the CVCTU as a Data Manager. Before this I worked in Cambridge University Hospitals NHS trust as a Clinical Trials Data Manager responsible for managing data for both early and late phase trials. Besides my working experience I have been equipped by the knowledge and skills having completed my Master’s degree in Clinical Trials from the University of Birmingham in 2023.