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Wolfson Institute of Population Health

Nirmala Markandu, RN

Senior Research Fellow

Centre: Centre for Public Health & Policy

Email: n.d.markandu@qmul.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7882 6218

Profile

Having completed my nursing qualification and gained clinical experience in renal, cardiovascular and metabolic medicine, I joined Professor MacGregor as a Research Assistant in the newly formed blood pressure unit at Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, and then moved with the team to St George's University of London. Here, I was responsible for running all the clinical trials in the blood pressure unit, as well as providing a clinical service for the hospital. I was instrumental in starting one of the first nurse-led clinical services for hypertension and cardiovascular disease prevention. This not only hugely reduced the waiting list, but also picked up patients who needed urgent care. I set up training sessions on blood pressure measurements for health care assistants, newly qualified staff nurses and pre-clinical medical students for many years.

In 2009, I moved to Queen Mary, University of London with the blood pressure team. Here I also worked part-time on three separate national multi-centre Pathway studies on hypertension treatment with Professor Mark Caulfield, recruiting and managing patients visits and documentation from 2010-2014.  

I am a trustee of the Blood Pressure UK charity and was involved in setting up this organisation.

I act as the hypertension specialist nurse advisor for the Charity, dealing with all the prevention and management of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease related queries from the general public, as well as from health professionals, and attend blood pressure UK events organised by various communities and organisations, as well as our own CASSH-organised events to measure and advice on attendees blood pressure.

I have, for many years, organised and run update meetings on hypertension and cardiovascular disease prevention and management for health professionals on a national level.

Research

Research Interests:

I am interested in clinical research on salt and high blood pressure and community-based blood pressure and cardiovascular disease prevention, focusing on reducing and improving CVD in Asian and Black ethnic minorities in the UK and developing countries.

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