Inaugural Professorial Lecture – Professor Ivan Sammut

Drugs for the broken-hearted: Developing new therapeutic agents for heart disease

About Professor Ivan Sammut's research:
Ivan is a pharmacologist with expertise in drug discovery and drug delivery, specialising in cardio-renal disease. He is passionate about teaching therapeutics and safe prescribing for which he has received several teaching awards. After serving as the Associate Dean Medical Education for the School of Biomedical Sciences, he was appointed as Head of Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in 2024.

Ivan completed his postdoctoral work in cardiovascular research at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals (National Heart and Lung Institute), Imperial College London, focusing on clinical therapeutic management. His research interests include novel therapies for cardio-renal injury, pharmacological intervention in seizure-induced cardiomyopathy, and renal denervation. His group has been funded by the Health Research Council, Marsden, Heart Foundation and MBIE.

A key focus of Ivan’s research has been the understanding of endogenous transmitters such as carbon monoxide as protective molecules during cardiac surgery and in transplantation. His team’s collaborations with HeartOtago have led to the design and development of these novel compounds as therapeutic agents.

This lecture will be followed with light refreshments, tea, coffee and juice.