Overview
Goals and Objectives
Our Team
Publications
Collaborations
Lines of Research
Awards
Projects
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of morbidity and/or mortality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and, worldwide. Despite therapeutic advancement, the frequency of CVDs including vascular dysfunction, ischemic and hypertensive cardiac diseases are increasing at an alarming rate, largely due to lack of awareness and sedentary lifestyle.
Poorly defined molecular mechanisms of CVDs largely responsible for the limited therapeutic efficacy of the available pharmacological intervention. This necessitates the need of detail pathomechanisms investigation and, novel molecular targets to design better therapies to combat CVDs. The cardiovascular Research (CVR) group aims to plug in the gap in our understanding of CVDs by performing detailed phenotypic and molecular characterization of these diseases in various settings.
Our broader aim is to investigate the molecular perturbations involved in CVDs such as hypertension, vascular dysfunction, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and ischemia- and hypertension-induced cardiac remodeling and heart failure. Moreover, considering several structural and functional similarities in cardiac and skeletal muscles, CVR group is additionally focusing on investigating the potential molecular mechanisms causing the coupling of cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction. We will meet our aims with the following specific objectives:
- Identify genes and genetic defects and, delineate the underlying molecular mechanisms to enhance our understanding of CVDs including various types of cardiomyopathies, thrombotic and vascular disorders including endothelial dysfunction, familial hypercholesterolemia and inherited bleeding disorders.
- Perform detailed phenotypic and molecular characterization of patients with major CVDs.
- Establish potential circulating biomarkers for early risk assessment and treatment of CVDs.
- Identify and characterize the novel drug targets employing in vitro and in vivo mouse models.
- Delineate the molecular mechanisms causing coupling of cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction and, evaluate the effects of microgravity on cardiovascular remodeling.
- Screen the small molecule inhibitors to design better therapies against CVDs.
- Investigate the immunopharmacological interventions related to renal and cardiovascular disorders.
Research Publications
No Record Found
- Section on Cardiovascular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
- College of Sport Sciences and Physical Activity, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Mansoura University, Egypt
- Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Japan
- Mohammed Bin Rashid University, Dubai, UAE
- Simon Fraser University, Canada
Cardiovascular research group has adapted a multi-pronged approach, including both the in-vitro and in-vivo models to meet our research aims. We employ gain- and loss-of-function models to better understand the pathomechanisms of cardiovascular and muscular disorders. Our research primarily focuses on investigating the mechanisms of ischemic heart diseases- and pressure overload -induced cardiac remodelling and dysfunction, hypertension, vascular dysfunction, thrombosis and atherosclerosis. Moreover, our group is engaged to investigate the causes of muscular and associated cardiovascular defects in a mouse model of space flight or prolonged bedrest. Cardiovascular research group has well-established cardiac and skeletal muscle cell lines, which are being used to thoroughly investigate the molecular and genetic changes dictating various diseases. Small molecular inhibitors screening, in in-vitro and ex-vivo models in an attempt to design potential novel therapies to minimize or reverse the cardiovascular disease, is an important goal of our group.
- American Heart Association (AHA), Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award, in the Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions 2024 to Dr. Adel Elmoselhi
List of active research grants: # Title PI Co-PIs Amount Dates 1 Novel roles of Nicotinamide Riboside Kinase-2 in cardiometabolic disorders. Dr. Firdos Ahmad Rizwan Qaisar, Dhanendra Tomar 402,000 AED 2022-2026 2 Pharmacological inhibition of Unfolded Protein Response pathways to mitigate muscle decline in a mouse model of mechanical unloading Dr. RizwanQaisar Asima Karim, Anu Ranade, Amir Ali Khan 80,000 AED 2024-2026 3 Role of GSK-3α in cardiomyopathy Dr. Firdos Ahmad Jalal Taneera, Rizwan Qaisar 120,000 AED 2024-2026 4 Effect of Extended Higher Dose of Vitamin D Supplement on Endothelial Dysfunction in Adult Middle¬ Aged Obese and Vitamin D3 Deficiency Individuals in UAE Population Dr.Adel Elmoselhi Mohamed Seif, Ahmed Taher El-Serafy 200,000 AED 2023-2026 5 Identify early vascular dysfunction, circulatory biomarkers and miRNAs to improve risk stratification of CVD in type 2 diabetic patients of UAE population Dr. Adel Elmoselhi Salahedeen Abusnana, Bashair Mohammed Mussa,Ayman Warrad El-Hattab 120,000 AED 2024-2026 6 The effects of concurrent mechanical unloading and hypoxia on the gastrocnemius muscles of hindlimb unloaded mice Dr. RizwanQaisar Firdos Ahmad, Anu Ranade, Asima Karim 120,000 AED 2025-2027
Key research publications from the group:
- Ahmad F, Marzook H, Idris M, Dawuod OI, Srinivas M, Karim A, Saleh MA, Qaisar R. GSK-3α regulates miRNAs associated with transcriptional and metabolic processes in human cardiomyocytes under hypoxia. Biochem J. 2025; 482 (18):1321-1336.
- Marzook H, Gupta A, Jayakumar MN, Saleh MA, Tomar D, Qaisar R, Ahmad F. GSK-3α-BNIP3 axis promotes mitophagy in human cardiomyocytes under hypoxia. Free Radic Biol Med. 2024; 221:235-244.
- Alsereidi FR, Khashim Z, Marzook H, Al-Rawi AM, Salomon T, Almansoori MK, Madkour MM, Hamam AM, Ramadan MM, Peterson QP, Saleh MA. Dapagliflozin Mitigates Cellular Stress and Inflammation through PI3K/AKT Pathway Modulation in Cardiomyocytes. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2024;23(1):388.
- Ahmad F, Karim A, Khan J, Qaisar R. ACE inhibitors attenuate circulating CAF22 and physical decline in congestive heart failure: Diagnostic implications of CAF22. Br J. Clin Pharmacol. 2025; 91(2):409-419.
- Yasser Abd Alsamad, Bessan Jaffal, Khaleel Shuhait, Reem Alzaabi, Sari Lataifeh, Tahsina Sadia, and Amal Hussein, Adel Elmoselhi. High Prevalence of Elevated Blood Pressure (Prehypertension) and Hypertension Among Undergraduate University Students in the UAE: A Serious Health Concern. J Hum Hypertens (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-025-01015.
- Ahmad F, Qaisar R. Nicotinamide riboside kinase 2: A unique target for skeletal muscle and cardiometabolic diseases. Biochim Biophys Acta: Mol Basis Dis. 2024;1870(8):167487.
- Anajirih N, Abdeen A, Taher ES, Abdelkader A, Abd-Ellatieff HA, Gewaily MS, Ahmed NE, Al-Serwi RH, Sorour SM, Abdelkareem HM, Ebrahim E, El-Sherbiny M, Imbrea F, Imbrea I, Ramadan MM, Habotta OA. Alchemilla vulgaris modulates isoproterenol-induced cardiotoxicity: interplay of oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagy, and apoptosis. Front Pharmacol. 2024 Aug 7:15:1394557.
- Ahmad F, Gupta A, Marzook H, Saleh MA, Woodgett JR, Qaisar R. Natural compound screening predicts novel GSK-3 isoform-specific inhibitors. Biochimie. 2024; 225:68-80.
- Ahmad F, Karim A, Khan J, Qaisar R. Circulating osteonectin predicts postural imbalance and cardiac dysfunction in heart failure. Vascul Pharmacol. 2025;158:107468.
- Zeinab Ibrahim, Naveed A Khan, Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Rizwan Qaisar, Hezlin Marzook, Nelson C. Soares, Adel B Elmoselhi. Gut matters in microgravity: potential link of gut microbiota and its metabolites to cardiovascular and musculoskeletal well-being. Nutrition & Metabolism 2024; 21, Article number: 66.
- Marzook H, Gupta A, Saleh MA, Patil K, Semreen MH, Hamoudi R, Soares NC, Qaisar R, Ahmad F. Nicotinamide riboside kinase-2 is essential for metabolic adaptation in the ischemic heart. J Mol Med 2023;101(3):311-326.
- Adel B Elmoselhi, Vishwajeet Shankhwar, Rizwan Qaisar, Rifat Hamoudi, Bianca Brix, Adam Saloň and Nandu Goswami. Retinal Vascular Changes and Arterial Stiffness During 8-Month Isolation and Confinement: The SIRIUS-21 Space Analog Mission. Frontiers in Physiology, Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1374309.
