Personal Statement
I am a Lecturer in Cardiovascular Health, working at the University of Liverpool from July 2019.

I completed my undergraduate degree in Medicine, MD, with distinction at Grodno State Medical University, Belarus. I practised medicine until 2008, when I joined the University Department of Medicine at City Hospital in Birmingham (University of Birmingham), supported by the Lancet International Fellowship. I explored endothelial damage in patients with malignant hypertension. The results of this study were published in a high-impact journal (Shantsila et al. Hypertension 2011;57:490-6). Later, I was involved in several research projects undertaken in the department, delivering recruitment, imaging and data analyses for the Ethnic-Echocardiographic Heart of England Screening Study (E-ECHOES). I was responsible for developing and validating the methodology of assessment of carotid plaque neovascularisation by contrast ultrasonography and application of the technology in a study. In January 2012, I started my work on a BHF-funded project at the School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham, looking at the role of respiratory modulation of muscle sympathetic nerve activity in patients with hypertension and the effects of long-term breathing intervention. This work composed the main part of my PhD, which was completed in 2016. The study was awarded ‘The highest ranked abstract in the Stable IHD/Prevention/Hypertension/Lipids category’ at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) annual conference in 2015. From November 2014 to July 2019, I held academic positions at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham.

Research Overview
My main research focus is understanding of mechanisms of blood pressure control and pathogenesis of hypertension, including clinical implications. I am interested in long team consequences of uncontrolled blood pressure on target organ damage and I am currently supervising two PhD students looking into it problem.

I have substantial experience in echocardiography and vascular ultrasonography (carotid, peripheral artery and venous, flow mediated dilatation), including assessment of coronary flow reserve using myocardial contrast stress echocardiography, contrast carotid ultrasonography, 3D-echo, assessment of microvascular function (laser Doppler flowmetry). I am familiar with different types of statistical analysis, including complex regression models, receiver-operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, decision curve analysis (DCA) and other different approaches to test the predictive discrimination of the parameters.

My management experience includes the role of National coordinator of the Atrial Fibrillation General Long Term (AF-GEN) Registry and AF-GEN UK extension study; management of preparation and revision of clinical international expert consensus documents; I was a project manager for the NIHR Global Health Research of AF Management GHR 17/63/121, partner countries Brazil, China, Sri Lanka and UK. Also was involved in the management of the joined MRC Newton Fund: TREATS-AF.

I am collaborating with the endocrinology team at Alder Hey Hospital, investigating cardiovascular health in children and adolescents with different endocrine pathology.

I act as a reviewer for the Journal of Hypertension, Hypertension and BMJ open.