Waljit Dhillo
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Waljit Dhillo is an
endocrinologist Endocrinology (from ''endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental events ...
and a Professor of Endocrinology & Metabolism at the
Imperial College London Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a Public university, public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a Al ...
. He is the Director of Research at the Division of Medicine & Integrated Care at
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is an NHS trust based in London, England. It is one of the largest NHS trusts in England and together with Imperial College London forms an academic health science centre. The trust was formed in October 20 ...
and the Dean of the
National Institute for Health and Care Research The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the British government's major funder of clinical, public health, social care and translational research. With a budget of over £1.2 billion in 2020–21, its mission is to "impr ...
(NIHR) Academy. His research focuses on how the
endocrine system The endocrine system is a messenger system in an organism comprising feedback loops of hormones that are released by internal glands directly into the circulatory system and that target and regulate distant Organ (biology), organs. In vertebrat ...
controls
body weight Human body weight is a person's mass or weight. Strictly speaking, body weight is the measurement of mass without items located on the person. Practically though, body weight may be measured with clothes on, but without shoes or heavy accessori ...
and reproductive functions.


Early life and education

Dhillo studied at the
St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, commonly known as Barts or BL, is a medical and dental school in London, England. The school is part of Queen Mary University of London, a constituent college of the federal University of L ...
, University of London. He received a BSc in biochemistry in 1991 and an
MBBS A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...
in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics in 1994. He acquired a PhD in
neuroendocrinology Neuroendocrinology is the branch of biology (specifically of physiology) which studies the interaction between the nervous system and the endocrine system; i.e. how the brain regulates the hormonal activity in the body. The nervous and endocrine ...
at the Imperial College in 2002.


Career and research

Dhillo works at the Imperial College London, the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Since 2023 he is the Scientific Director for Research Capacity and Capabilities at the NIHR Board. In 2024 he was appointed the NIHR Scientific Director for Research Capacity and Capabilities. He is a Fellow of the
Higher Education Academy Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) is a British charity and professional membership scheme promoting excellence in higher education. It advocates evidence-based teaching methods and awards fellowships as professional recogniti ...
(FHEA), the
Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of ph ...
(FRCP), and the
Royal College of Pathologists The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) is a professional membership organisation. Its main function is the overseeing of postgraduate training, and its Fellowship Examination (FRCPath) is recognised as the standard assessment of fitness to p ...
(FRCPath). He was awarded an NIHR Research Professorship in 2015 and appointed Senior Investigator in 2021. In 2024 he was elected as a
Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) is an award for medical scientists who are judged by the UK Academy of Medical Sciences for the "excellence of their science, their contribution to medicine and society and the range of the ...
. Dhillo's research focuses on how gut hormones regulate the feeling of
hunger In politics, humanitarian aid, and the social sciences, hunger is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs for a sustained period. In t ...
and the consequent amount of food intake. His research investigates the possible use of gut hormones as medicine that, when administered, would suppress appetite with less side effects than other drugs. More recently he researched the use of
kisspeptin Kisspeptins (including kisspeptin-54 (KP-54), formerly known as metastin) are proteins encoded by the ''KISS1'' gene in humans. Kisspeptins are ligands of the G-protein coupled receptor, GPR54. ''Kiss1'' was originally identified as a human me ...
treatment for
infertile In biology, infertility is the inability of a male and female organism to reproduce. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy organism that has reached sexual maturity, so children who have not undergone puberty, which is the body's sta ...
women undergoing
in vitro fertilization In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation in which an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating the ovulatory process, then removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from ...
, and the role of
neurokinin B Neurokinin B (NKB) belongs in the family of tachykinin peptides. Neurokinin B is implicated in a variety of human functions and pathways such as the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Additionally, NKB is associated with pregnancy in fe ...
in the
hot flush Hot flushes are a form of flushing, often caused by the changing hormone levels that are characteristic of menopause. They are typically experienced as a feeling of intense heat with sweating and rapid heartbeat, and may typically last from two ...
symptoms of
menopausal Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time when menstrual periods permanently stop, marking the end of the reproductive stage for the female human. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, although the exact timing can ...
women. His research paved the way for the development of
fezolinetant Fezolinetant, sold under the brand name Veozah, among others, is a medication used for the treatment of hot flashes (vasomotor symptoms) due to menopause. It is a small-molecule, selective neurokinin-3 (NK3) receptor antagonist taken by mou ...
, a drug for the treatment of hot flushes in menopause. He also takes part in the development of the drug
MVT-602 MVT-602 (other developmental code names RVT-602, TAK-448) is a kisspeptin receptor agonist which is under development for the treatment of female infertility and hypogonadism. It has been found to increase luteinizing hormone levels in premenopa ...
, a potential treatment for reproductive problems in women.


References


External links


Article
in the
New Scientist ''New Scientist'' is a popular science magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organ ...
about Dhillo's research on infertility {{DEFAULTSORT:Dhillo, Waljit British endocrinologists NIHR Research Professors NIHR Senior Investigators Fellows of the Higher Education Academy Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Fellows of the Royal College of Pathologists British medical researchers Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Alumni of the University of London Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences (United Kingdom)