Affiliation: Imperial College London, National Heart and Lung Institute

Dr. Ben-Aicha has a BSc in Biotechnology from the University of Barcelona, Spain plus a Masters of Applied Clinical Research in Health Sciences from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. After finishing her PhD in Medicine studies at the Hospital Santa Creu i Sant Pau-Institut de recerca-Program ICCC, she moved to the Imperial College London as a postdoctoral researcher.

Her field of action focuses on the therapy of ischemic heart disease and thrombosis. She investigated through preclinical animal models of hypercholesterolemia (a common cardiovascular risk factor in CVD) and performed analysis of non-invasive imaging technologies and determinations at molecular and histological level. She has also contributed to several projects in gaining experience and knowledge in thrombosis. Since then, she moved to the Imperial College London and is currently working on the role of the immune system in CVD. In all those settings she analysed the role of the lipoproteins and extracellular vesicles as potential therapeutics. As proof of this, she has a substantial peer-reviewed publication record for her stage. Moreover, many abstracts due to her efforts have been accepted and published in different recognized national and international congresses. She has also obtained recognition in the works presented at courses and conferences including Frontiers in Cardiovascular Biology Young Investigator Award 2018 and 2020, best communications at the Sociedad Española de Cardiología (SEC) 2019, Special Mention Award in Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis 2018, and European Society for Clinical Investigation 2018.