Safiyyah Suleman

A PhD student with a BHF studentship in Cardiovascular Science. First class graduate in Biomedical Science (Hons) with an MSc (Chronic disease and Immunity) and an MRes in cardiovascular science. I aim to contribute to society by focusing on translational research, using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy (31-Phosphorus). My interest is the peripheral impact of heart failure and implications on the well-being of patients using dietary interventions.

PhD Project : 'Imaging assessment of sarcopenia across the Heart Failure spectrum'

Heart Failure affects 1 million people in the UK. It is characterised by symptoms of breathlessness and poor exercise tolerance, limiting activities of daily living. It occurs because the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet to meet the oxygen demands of the body. There are 2 common forms of heart failure: reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), where the pumping action of the heart is reduced, and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), where the main problem is slow filling of the heart. Both HFrEF and HFpEF are associated with muscle wasting and low strength.

The reasons why muscle wasting occurs is likely to be different in HFrEF and HFpEF, with the latter associated with inflammation in the tissues related to obesity, diabetes and other diseases. In this PhD research project, we will test whether skeletal muscle size and strength is lower in overweight people with HFpEF than in HFrEF (20 per group and 20 controls) and how muscle metabolism is affected, using MRI scanning. We will then assess whether a low-Calorie meal replacement diet for 12 weeks improves heart failure symptoms, exercise capacity and skeletal muscle strength and metabolism. The study will help show whether the diet is a potentially good treatment for HFpEF.

Details regarding the supervision of current PhD project.

Supervisors: 

Professor Iain Squire

Professor Gerry McCann

Dr Emma Watson

University of Leicester and the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre

Investigators:

Dr Joanna Bilak

Dr Emer Brady

Dr Shirley Sze 

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester

Collaborators

Dr Neil Greening, University of Leicester and the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre

Dr Seth O'Neill, School of Allied Healthcare Professionals, University of Leicester

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science (First Class),2020

MSc Chronic Disease & Immunity, 2022

MRes Cardiovascular Science, 2023