Dr. Ashmeetha Manilall

Ashmeetha Manilall is a cardiovascular researcher whose work centers on the molecular mechanisms linking systemic inflammation to cardiac dysfunction. Her studies frequently employ experimental rat models of collagen-induced arthritis and hypertension to unravel how inflammatory cytokines and immune pathways influence left ventricular remodeling and heart failure phenotypes.

Her research highlights the roles of TNF-α, interleukin-6, the NLRP3 inflammasome, and microRNAs in modulating systolic and diastolic function, fibrosis, titin phosphorylation, and myocardial gene expression. Through detailed molecular and functional analyses, she has clarified how specific inflammatory mediators differentially drive concentric remodeling, contractile impairment, and lipid metabolic disturbances.

In addition, her work extends to neurotoxicity and addiction biology, examining the cellular effects and genetic context of heroin-based substances in South Africa. Collectively, her contributions advance understanding of inflammation-driven cardiovascular pathology and inform the therapeutic potential and limitations of cytokine-targeted interventions.