CAREER HIGHLIGHTS My main research focus has been on high-density lipoprotein biology. Five decades ago HDLs were considered relatively unimportant for human health. Today they are acknowledged as major protective factors in the development of cardiovascular disease, being the spotlight of considerable basic and applied clinical research worldwide. My work in the following areas has made unique contributions to our understanding of the roles of HDLs in reverse cholesterol transport, inflammation, thrombosis and oxidative stress: (1) Trans-endothelial transport and extravascular metabolism of lipoproteins (using long-term peripheral lymph vessel cannulation in ambulant humans) (2) Intravenous infusion of lipid free apo A-I and reconstituted apo A-I/PC proteoliposomes (nascent HDLs) (3) HDL remodelling in familial lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency and fish-eye disease and (4) Transgenic rabbits expressing the human apo A-I/C-III/A-IV gene cluster. Other recent contributions include: (1) Hormone replacement therapy and lipoproteins, clotting factors, breast cancer and cognition in perimenopausal women (the KEEPS trial) (2) LDL apheresis for atheroprevention in familial hypercholesterolemia (3) Effects of dark chocolate (Xocai) or bison meat consumption on vascular reactivity, insulin sensitivity and whole body oxidative stress (4) Cardiometabolic syndrome evolution in obese adolescents (5) Brown adipose tissue activation effects on adipokines and insulin resistance (6) In-silico modelling of lipoprotein metabolism for testing the HDL flux hypothesis, identification of novel RCT biomarkers and selection of better pharmacological targets and (7) Remnant lipoproteins in type III dyslipidemia.
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