Dr Rayomand Khambata

Profile

Rayomand Khambata obtained a first-class undergraduate Masters in Pharmacology from the University of Bath in 2006. He then joined Professor Adrian Hobbs’ group at University College London and completed his PhD in pharmacology which involved investigating the role of C-type natriuretic peptide on vascular homeostasis. After obtaining his PhD in 2010 he started a post-doc with Professor Amrita Ahluwalia at the William Harvey Research Institute, to investigate the role of inorganic nitrate on atherosclerosis. During this time his research has focussed on the role of inorganic nitrate on the cardiovascular system, with a focus on inflammation. In 2020 he was appointed as a Lecturer. 

Rayomand is an academic advisor and module lead for Drug design, a 3rd year module on the BSc Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics programme. He is also involved in various teaching on the MBBS/Biomedical Sciences and Masters programmes. In 2021 he was appointed as Head of Year 3 for BSc Pharmacology & Innovative Therapeutics.

Rayomand leads the William Harvey Research Institute Work Experience Programme which was established in 2017.

Research

Group members

Members of Vascular Pharmacology Group: Prof Amrita Ahluwalia (Head), Dr Vikas Kapil (Clinical Senior Lecturer/Consultant), Dr Daniel Jones (Clinical Senior Lecturer/Consultant), Dr Krishnaraj Rathod (Clinical Senior Lecturer/Cardiology SpR), Dr Rayomand Khambata (Lecturer), Dr Gianmichele Massimo (Post-Doctoral researcher), Dr Sven van Eijl (Lab manager), Dr Mutsumi Ono (Clinical Trials Practioner)

PhD students: Dr Christopher Primus, Dr Asad Shabbir, Dr Clement Lau, Tipparat Parakaw, Josh Dyson

Summary

The major focus of the Vascular Pharmacology group is the bioactivation of inorganic nitrate to nitrite and subsequently nitric oxide. My research focusses on the potential anti-inflammatory effects of inorganic nitrate and nitrite in the setting of cardiovascular diseases.

Key Publications

• Kapil V, Khambata RS, Jones DA, Rathod K, Primus C, Massimo G, Fukuto JM, Ahluwalia A. (2020). The non-canonical pathway for in vivo nitric oxide generation: the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway. Pharmacol Rev. 72, 692-766
• Kapil V, Rathod KS, Khambata RS, Bahra M, Velmurugan S, Purba A, S Watson D, Barnes MR, Wade WG, Ahluwalia A. (2018). Sex differences in the nitrate-nitrite-NO• pathway: Role of oral nitrate-reducing bacteria. Free Radic Biol Med. 126, 113-121
• Yellon DM, He Z, Khambata R, Ahluwalia A, Davidson SM. (2018). The GTN patch: a simple and effective new approach to cardioprotection? Basic Res Cardiol. 113:20
• Rathod KS, Hamshere S, Khambata RS, Andiapen M, Westwood M, Mathur A, Ahluwalia A, Jones DA. (2017). Combined analysis of the safety of intra-coronary drug delivery during primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction: A study of three clinical trials. JRSM Cardiovasc Dis. Aug 16:6
• Khambata RS, Ghosh SM, Rathod KS, Thevathasan T, Filomena F, Xiao Q, Ahluwalia A. (2017). Antiinflammatory actions of inorganic nitrate stabilize the atherosclerotic plaque. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 114, E550-559
• Rathod KS, Kapil V, Velmurugan S, Khambata RS, Siddique U, Khan S, Van Eijl S, Gee LC, Bansal J, Pitrola K, Shaw C, D'Acquisto F, Colas RA, Marelli-Berg F, Dalli J, Ahluwalia A. (2017). Accelerated resolution of inflammation underlies sex differences in inflammatory responses in humans. J Clin Invest. 127, 169-182.
• Jones DA, Khambata RS, Andiapen M, Rathod KS, Mathur A, Ahluwalia A. (2017). Intracoronary nitrite suppresses the inflammatory response following primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Heart. 103, 508-516.
• Velmurugan S, Gan JM, Rathod KS, Khambata RS, Ghosh SM, Hartley A, Van Eijl S, Sagi-Kiss V, Chowdhury TA, Curtis M, Kuhnle GG, Wade WG, Ahluwalia A. (2016). Dietary nitrate improves vascular function in patients with hypercholesterolemia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Am J Clin Nutr. 103, 25-38.
• Khambata RS, Ghosh SM, Ahluwalia A. (2015). ‘Repurposing’ of xanthine oxidoreductase as a nitrite reductase: a new paradigm for therapeutic targeting in hypertension. Antioxid. Redox. Signal. 23, 340-353.
• Kapil V, Khambata RS, Caulfield MJ, Ahluwalia A. (2015). Dietary nitrate provides sustained blood pressure lowering in hypertensive patients: a randomized, phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Hypertension 65, 320-7.
• Moyes A, Khambata RS, Villar I, Bubb K, Baliga R, Lumsden N, Xiao F, Gane P, Rebstock A,  Worthington R, Simone M, Quinteiro F, Rivilla F, Vallejo S, Peiró C, Ferrer C, Djordjevic S, Caulfield M, MacAllister R, Ahluwalia A, Selwood A, Hobbs A. (2014). Endothelial C-type natriuretic peptide maintains vascular homeostasis. J Clin Invest. 124, 4039-51.
• Velmurugan S, Kapil V, Ghosh SM, Davies S, McKnight A, Aboud Z, Khambata RS, Webb AJ, Poole A, Ahluwalia A. (2013). Anti-platelet effects of dietary nitrate in healthy volunteers. Free Rad Biol Med. 65, 1521-32.
• Ghosh SM, Kapil V, Fuentes-Calvo I, Bubb KJ, Pearl V, Milsom AB, Khambata RS, Maleki-Toyserkani S, Yousuf M, Benjamin N, Webb AJ, Caulfield MJ, Hobbs AJ, Ahluwalia A (2013). Enhanced vasodilator activity of nitrite in hypertension: critical role for erythrocytic xanthine oxidoreductase and translational potential. Hypertension 61, 1091-102.
• Bubb KJ, Khambata RS, Ahluwalia A. (2012). Sex differences in animal models of hypertension and atherosclerosis. Br J Pharmacol. 167, 298-312.
• Khambata RS, Panayiotou CM, Hobbs AJ. (2011). Natriuretic peptide receptor-3 underpins the disparate regulation of endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation by C-type natriuretic peptide. Br J Pharmacol. 164, 584-97.
• Villar IC, Scotland RS, Khambata RS, Chan M, Duchene J, Sampaio AL, Perretti M, Hobbs AJ, Ahluwalia A. (2011). Suppression of Endothelial P-Selectin Expression Contributes to Reduced Cell Trafficking in Females: An Effect Independent of NO and Prostacyclin. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 31, 1075-83.
• Lumsden NG, Khambata RS, Hobbs AJ. (2010). C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP): cardiovascular roles and potential as a therapeutic target.  Curr Pharm des. 16, 4080-8.