Dr Mootaz Salman Appointed BHF-UK DRI Group Leader

Wolfson College congratulates Dr Mootaz Salman, Wolfson Research Fellow, on his prestigious new appointment as a Group Leader with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI). This role comes with a significant £1.5 million award to advance understanding of the blood-brain barrier in vascular dementia.

Dr Salman will lead a group at the new £9M BHF-UK DRI Centre for Vascular Dementia Research (CVDR) focusing on the role of the blood-brain barrier in neurodegenerative disease. His research aims to uncover the role of this vital barrier in driving neurodegeneration and on improving the delivery of medication through the barrier, which currently stops around 98% of drugs getting into the brain.

“Joining the UK DRI represents an exciting opportunity to be part of a world-leading effort to tackle the complex challenges of neurodegeneration. The strong focus on collaboration, innovation, and real-world impact aligns perfectly with my group’s mission to understand how dysfunction at the blood-brain barrier contributes to diseases like vascular dementia. I’m particularly excited to be part of the BHF-UK DRI CVDR, where we can bridge cardiovascular and neurological research to drive meaningful progress for patients” said Dr Salman.

Dr Salman’s work uses cutting-edge stem cell models to examine the cellular mechanisms underpinning blood-brain barrier (dys)function. You can find out more about his cutting-edge research below: