Professor Andriana Margariti: Pioneering the Future of Regenerative and Personalised Medicine through Vascular Reprogramming, iPSC Technology, and AI-Driven Innovation

Professor Andriana Margariti is a globally recognised leader in vascular biology and regenerative medicine. Her research uniquely combines expertise in stem cell biology, endothelial cell function, direct cell reprogramming, chromatin remodelling, and translational cardiovascular science. With a bold vision to redefine the future of personalised medicine, her work is unlocking novel therapeutic avenues for vascular and metabolic diseases.

After completing her postdoctoral training at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Centre of Excellence at King’s College London, she was appointed Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) in 2013. She rapidly progressed to Senior Lecturer in 2017 and promoted to Professor in Vascular and Regenerative Medicine in 2020. Prof Margariti has also built enduring collaborations with leading global laboratories, including those of Professor Deepak Srivastava at the University of California, San Francisco, and Professor George Daley at Harvard Medical School—both world leaders in stem cell and reprogramming science. These partnerships have amplified the international relevance of her work, and she continues to welcome opportunities to collaborate across academia, healthcare, and industry to expand the reach of her human model systems and to co-develop next-generation regenerative therapies.

Over the past decade, her team has been supported by major grants, including a BBSRC New Investigator Award and a suite of BHF-funded projects focused on endothelial cell dysfunction and vascular reprogramming.

Professor Margariti leads one of the most advanced induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) programmes in the UK. As Director of the iPSC facilities within the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine (WWIEM) at QUB, she oversees a comprehensive pipeline where human iPSCs are generated and differentiated into a wide array of cell types, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, pericytes, cardiomyocytes, neurons, macrophages, retinal pigment epithelial cells, kidney cells, and many others. Her team has also established powerful 2D and 3D vascular and cardiac organoids, including the latest generation of vascularised cardiac tissues, offering unprecedented platforms for human disease modelling, drug discovery, and cell therapy.

In a landmark study published in STEM CELLS in 2024, her group demonstrated the generation of fully functional human blood vessels from both non-diabetic and diabetic patient-derived iPSCs. Using advanced single-cell RNA sequencing, they revealed the precise molecular and transcriptional phenotype that defines diabetic vascular dysfunction. This breakthrough provides a deep mechanistic understanding of vascular disease progression and marks a critical step toward translating patient-specific therapies into the clinic.

Prof Margariti’s lab has made foundational discoveries in vascular reprogramming. Among these, her identification of the RNA-binding proteins QKI-5 and QKI-6 as central regulators of endothelial and smooth muscle cell fate led to the successful generation of functional, layered blood vessels in vitro. A major breakthrough came with the publication of a 2020 study in Nature Communications, which demonstrated that targeting QKI-7 expression in vivo could restore endothelial function in diabetic environments—offering a promising therapeutic strategy for diabetic vascular complications. The team has also created a biobank of diabetic patient-specific iPSC lines using accelerated reprogramming approaches. These lines are now being used to build patient-matched vascular organoids that reflect real human pathologies and enable the development of targeted interventions and novel biomarkers.

Building on these strong foundations, Prof Margariti is now spearheading an ambitious initiative to integrate artificial intelligence and digital twin technologies into her iPSC-based platforms. By combining high-throughput experimental data with machine learning and predictive modelling, her team is creating digital replicas of patient-specific vascular and cardiac systems. These AI-enhanced human models have the potential to revolutionise how diseases are diagnosed, how drugs are tested, and how regenerative therapies are personalised for maximum efficacy and safety.

Her contributions have been recognised through numerous awards, including the PAPANIKOLAOU Prize from the Hellenic Medical Society for her outstanding contribution to medical research, and the Scientific Research Award from King’s College London. In 2022, her national and societal impact was further acknowledged through her inclusion in the Ulster Transport Museum’s Museum of Innovation, where her work is featured in a permanent exhibition celebrating Northern Ireland’s most influential STEM pioneers.

Through her exceptional leadership and scientific innovation, Professor Margariti is advancing the field toward clinical translation, with the ultimate goal of delivering regenerative therapies that are not only personalised, but transformative. Her work is not only redefining what is scientifically possible, but also establishing a new standard for how complex human diseases can be studied, understood, and ultimately cured.

The journey toward next-generation regenerative medicine is undeniably ambitious—but under Professor Andriana Margariti’s visionary leadership, it is also inevitable.

Measures of Esteem 

• • First living ‘Innovator in Focus’ at the Ulster Transport Museum 2022 https://museumsandheritage.com/advisor/posts/ulster-transport-museum-reveals-scientist-first-living-innovator-focus/
  • Grant proposal panel: UKRI BBSRC
  • Grant proposal reviewer: UKRI BHF, MRC, BBSRC, Swiss National Science Foundation, Veni Grant.
  • Editorial Board Member of Insights in Stem Cells; International Journal of Biochemistry and -Molecular Biology.
  • Reviewer for the following journals-Circulation Research, ATVB, Heart, PLoS ONE, Open Cardiovascular Medicine Journal. Mediators of Inflammation, BBA - Gene Regulatory Mechanisms, Cytotherapy, Developmental Biology.
  • 2014   BBSRC NEW INVESTIGATOR AWARD
  • 2013    First Contact Initiative Grant from the European Society of Cardiology.
  • 2012    Prize for outstanding performance and scientific research awarding from the Cardiovascular Division, BHF Centre King’s College London UK.
  • 2012    PAPANIKOLAOU Prize for significant contribution to Medical research awarding from the Hellenic Medical Society in London, UK. 
  • 2011    Travel award for best abstract submitted, from the ESC council, 6th European Meeting for Vascular Biology & Medicine 21-24 September Krakow, Poland.
  • 2008    Michael Davies Young Investigator Award Finalist presenter. Spring Meeting 3-4 April Oxford, UK.
  • 2007    First prize for best poster presentation, European Vascular Genomic Network (EVGN), Sweden.
  • 2006    First prize for best poster presentation, European Vascular Genomic Network (EVGN), Sicily.
  • 2006    Best Log Book during PhD studies, St. George’s University of London, UK.
   

 Invited Speaker

• 2025 Invited speaker King’s College London, May, UK
• 2024 Invited speaker to Galway University, October 01, Galway, Ireland
• 2022 Invited Speaker in Eurobiotech Conference, June 20-22, Kraków in Poland.
• 2020 keynote and plenary speakerInternational conference in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine in February 21-22, Paris;
• 2020 Organiser and Program Committee member in Regenerative Medicine International Conference in May 25-26, Amsterdam, Netherlands;
• 2018 Invited Speaker on 2nd International Conference in Splicing, 16th 19th July, Caparica, Portugal.
• 2018 Invited Speaker to give a talk in Imperial College London on 5^th July, London, UK.
• 2018 Invited Speaker to give a talk in Yachay Tech on 25^th January, Ecuador.
• 2017 Invited Speaker, 27^th October at King’s College London, UK.
• 2017 9th Annual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Sep 25-26, 2017, Berlin, Germany.
• 2017 Invited Speaker, 22^nd August at National University of Ireland, Galway.
• 2016 Small Artery Network (SmArt) Vascular Progenitors in Biology and Medicine conference, November 7^th to 9^th University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
• 2016 Invited speaker to 2^nd Annual International Symposium of Diabetes in ATINER, 2^nd May, Athens Greece.
• 2015 Invited Speaker to BHF Panel in King’s College London, 15^th December.
• 2015 Invited Speaker at University of Strathclyde, 30^th September.
• 2014 St George’s London University, Lecture on Stem Cells, Cardiovascular Disease and Regenerative Medicine, 12^h March 2014, London, UK
• 2013 in Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Research in University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 15th November 2013, a talk “on Cell Reprogramming and Regenerative Medicine”.
• 2013 Atherosclerosis Gordon Research Conference (GRC) in Stowe, Vermont, USA, at the Stoweflake Resort and Conference Center, June 16-21, a talk on “Epigenetic therapies in cardiovascular disease”.
• 2013 St George’s London University, Lecture on Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, 20^th March 2013, London, UK
• 2013 BHF Centres of Excellence Synergy Meeting, 4^th February 2013, Oxford, UK. A talk on “Cell Reprogramming”.
• 2012 Guest invitation in 3rd Annual “Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Production and Utility in Regenerative Medicine 2nd Oct, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Stevanage, UK.
• 2012 Small Artery Network (SmArt) Vascular Progenitors in Biology and Medicine conference, September 13-15, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
• 2012 European Workshop on Proteomics and Vascular Biology, March 27th-29th, King’s College London, UK.

Professional Registration

2018-present         Panel Member of the Biochemical Society  

2012-present         Member of International Society of Stem cell Research

2009-present         Member of British Society for Cardiovascular Research 

2008-present         Early Career member of American Heart Association

2004-present         Member of Institute of Biomedical Science

2003-present         Associate member of Royal Society of Chemistry

2003-present         Member of the Biochemical Society

Education:

Professional Development:

• PGCHET
• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA); Recognition Reference: PR064209 17/12/2013
• Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice in Higher Education Module Enhancing Academic Practice (7TTY0023) awarded from King’s College London November 2013.
• GMO Health and Safety Advisor

Education Contribution:

MSc in Biomedical and Clinical Research

Program Co-ordinator

MSc in Biomedical and Clinical Research: Research Projects (SCM8146)

Module Co-ordinator

MSc in Experimental Medicine

Program Co-ordinator

MSc in Experimental Medicine: Research Projects (SCM8146)

Module Co-ordinator

 Developmental Studies BMS3003

• Stem cells
• Epigenetics
• Short and Long Non-Coding RNAs

MED1013 Foundations of Clinical Practise I

• Lectures on Metabolism 
• Catalysis and Energy: An overview
• Metabolism and glucose
• Amino acid and nucleotide metabolism
• Lipid metabolism and Formation
• Mitochondria and ATP production
• Regulation of Metabolism

Tutorials

• Problem solving with Genes, Molecules and Processes
• Problems in Clinical Genetics
• Problems in Biochemical Medicine

 Vascular Biology BMS3027

• Pluripotent Stem Cells: Biology and Generation
• Pluripotent Stem Cells: Therapeutic tools

MSc SCM8110: Cardiovascular Biology and Disease

• Genetically Modified Animals in Diabetes and Cardiovascular Research
• Atherosclerosis
• Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
• Stem-Cell based therapies in diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

MSc SCM8111: Diabetes and Cardiovascular Medicine: Clinical Translation

• Advanced Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine  
• iPSC Genome Engineering

MSc SCM8062: Inflammation and Immunology; from Cell to Clinic

• Novel Immunological Therapies (CAR-Ts, IPSCs, other therapies)

Current Projects – Margariti Lab
From Cell Reprogramming to Vascularised Organoids, Personalised Medicine & AI-Powered Clinical Innovation

The Margariti Lab is pushing the boundaries of regenerative medicine by combining advanced iPSC technologies, direct cell reprogramming, and AI to decode disease mechanisms and build next-generation therapies.

1. Patient-Specific iPSC Models of Vascular Disease & Type 1 Diabetes
We generate iPSCs from blood cells of healthy and diabetic individuals to study endothelial dysfunction and vascular complications, preserving the epigenetic memory of disease phenotypes for precision modelling.

2. Next-Generation Vascularised Organoids
We engineer complex 3D organoids—heart, pancreas, and blood vessels—fully vascularised and functional. These include infection models with integrated immune cells to study inflammation, immune-vascular interactions, and host response in chronic disease.

3. Direct Reprogramming for Vascular Regeneration
Through transcriptional, epigenetic, and metabolic rewiring, we directly convert somatic cells into endothelial and smooth muscle lineages—bypassing pluripotency and accelerating regenerative applications.

4. In Vivo Cell-Based Therapeutics
Reprogrammed cells are functionally validated in preclinical models of angiogenesis, ischemia, myocardial infarction, and vascular injury, advancing toward clinical therapies and in vivo reprogramming approaches.

5. Digital Twins & AI-Enhanced Human Disease Models
By integrating single-cell omics, 3D organoids, and machine learning, we’re developing digital twins of human vascular and metabolic systems—unlocking predictive disease modelling, drug testing, and future-ready personalised clinical trials.

Group Members

Research Fellows

• Dr Andrew Yacoub 2025-Today

Project Title: Developing robust models for Diabetic Retinopathy

• Dr Refik Kuburas 2024-Today

Project Title: Development of the next Generation Vascularised Cardiac Organoids

• Dr Hojjat Naderi-Meshkin 2020-2023

Project: Generation of human blood vessel Organoids from diabetic donors.

• Dr Magdalini Eleftheriadou 2021-2023

Project: Generation of human Cardiomyocytes from diabetic donors.

• Dr Thomas Morrison 2019-2020

Project: Generation of human blood vessel Organoids using iPS cells from non-diabetic and diabetic donors.

• Dr Chunbo Yang 2017-2019

Project: Endothelial dysfunction in Diabetic patients and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

• Dr Letizia Gulino 2015-2016

Project: Investigate the Underlying Mechanisms of Direct Reprogramming towards Vascular Cell Lineages

• Dr Sophia Kelaini 2014-2020

Project: Direct reprogramming towards Vascular Cell lineages; A Merging Approach

PhD Students

• Dr Asim Jamalabdalnaser A Tashkandi 2023-Today

Project Title: Investigating the Underlying Mechanisms of Cardiomyopathy in Diabetes Mellitus Using iPS-Derived Cardiomyocytes

• Miss Wiwit Ananda Wahyu Setyaningsih 2021-Today

Project Title: ‘Modelling Human Vascular Diabetes and Deciphering Epigenetic Regulation in Diabetes-Associated Infections’

• Dr Victoria Cornelius 2020-2024

Project: Drug Screening Using Human Diabetic Models and iPS cell Technologies

• Dr Andrew Yacoub 2020-2025

Project: Discovery of novel therapies for Diabetic and Cardiovascular disease patients through Cell Reprogramming

• Dr Magdalini Eleftheriadou 2017-2021

Project: Investigate the role of non-coding RNAs during Endothelial cells differentiation from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

• Dr Rachel Caines 2015-2019

Project: Dedifferentiated or re-Born Again? Elucidating the chromatin remodelling mechanisms during endothelial cell reprogramming for cardiovascular therapy (BHF Studentship)

• Dr Marta Vilà-González 2014-2017

Project: Diabetic macular oedema: insight into the disease and iPSC for the stratifications of its treatment based on novel technologies

• Dr Amy Cochrane 2013-2016

Project: Mechanisms of vascular cell differentiation from induced Pluripotent stem Cells (iPS cells); RNA binding Proteins

MSc Students

• Miss Abigail Gorman 2024-2025
• Mr Mark Cahill 2023-2024
• Mr Mark Bell 2022-2023
• Miss Jenna Fulton 2020-2021

• Miss Victoria Cornelius 2019-2020

• Miss Shonagh Flanagan 2018-2019

• Mr Andrew Yacoub 2017-2018

Project: Discovery of novel therapies for Diabetic and Cardiovascular disease patients through the powerful approach of Cell Repogramming in a petri-dish  

• Mr Corey Magee 2016-2017

Project: Combining Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and RNA Sequencing Technologies to Identify Novel Mediators of Endothelial Differentiation and Dysfunction

• Mr Thomas Noteman 2014-2015

Project: Elucidate the Unique Epigenetic Signature of reprogramming endothelial cells derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for use in Cardiovascular Therapy and Personalised Medicine

• Mr Philip McCaughey 2013-2014

Project: Mechanisms of vascular cell differentiation; Regenerative Medicine

 MSci Students

• Miss Amanda Boyle 2020-2021
• Mr Garrett Carney 2019-2020
• Miss Grace Todd 2018-2019
• Miss Olivia Sharpe 2018-2019
• Miss Wiktoria Ratajczak  2017-2018
• Miss Anya Harris 2016-2017
• Miss Charlotte McBrien 2016-2017

Undergraduate Supervision

• Miss Eva McGoldrick Mathers 2024-25

  Project Title: Therapeutic Potential of Extracellular Vesicles from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Restore Vascular Function in Diabetic Endothelial Cells

• Miss Celine Chan 2020-2021
• Mr David Barr 2019-2020
• Miss Sarah Fairley 2018-2019
• Miss Jasmyn Ferson 2017-2018 
• Miss Shannon O' Doherty (Intercalated BSc)  2017-2018
• Mr Ryan Sterritt (Intercalated BSc)  2016-2017
• Miss Marianna Tsifaki Erasmus / Technician 2016-2018 
• Miss Fiona Cunningham 2015-2016
• Miss Emma Martelli 2015-2016
• Miss Daiana Drehmer (Science-without Borders programme) 2015-2016
• Mr Andrew Carmichael 2015-2016
• Mr Peter Crossley (Intercalated BSc) 2015-2016
• Mr Sean Mc Mahon (Intercalated BSc) 2014-2015
• Miss Karin Yeoh 2014-2015
• MrWilson Cheah (Intercalated BSc) 2013-2014

Summer Students

• Miss Lisa Benrejdal University of Rennes France 2018
• Mr Michael Breen (Nuffield Research Placement)  2017
• Miss Azah Kadir 2015
• Miss Medine Gumustas (Erasmus Student) 2015
• Mr Gabriel Pena Machado (Science without Borders programme) 2015
• Miss Rachel Caines 2014
• Miss Rebekah Craig (Nuffield Research Placement) 2014 

Collaborators

• Prof Alan Stitt Centre for Experimental Medicine Queen’s University Belfast, UK
• Prof David Grieve Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast, UK
• Prof Noemi Lois Clinical Professor Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast, UK
• Dr Sandra McAllister Clinical Lecturer Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast, UK
• Prof George Daley Boston Children’s Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
• Dr Thorsten Schlaeger Head of pluripotent stem cells Core Facility Boston Children’s Hospital Harvard Medical School, USA
• Prof Deepak Srivastava Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Research in University of California, San Francisco, USA
• Dr Alisha Holloway (Bioinformatics Core) Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Research in University of California, San Francisco, USA
• Prof Qingbo Xu BHF Centre of Excellence King’s College London, UK
• Dr Lingfang Zeng BHF Centre of Excellence King’s College London, UK
• Dr Anna Zampetaki BHF Centre of Excellence King’s College London, UK
• Prof John McCarron University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
• Dr Steve Shnyder Institute of Cancer Therapeutics University of Bradford, UK
• Dr David Simpson  Centre for Experimental Medicine Queen’s University Belfast, UK
• Dr Guillermo Lopez Campos  Centre for Experimental Medicine Queen’s University Belfast, UK
• Dr Jose Sousa Queen’s University Belfast, UK
• Dr Fionna Wilkinson Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
• Prof Yvonne Alexander Manchester Metropolitan University, UK