DrPetros Andrikopoulos

I am an MRC Career Development Fellow and Assistant Professor in Host–Microbiome Interactions in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction at Imperial College London.

I completed my PhD at Imperial College London and the Institute of Cancer Research in Cell and Molecular Biology, investigating how ion channel and transporter activities influence angiogenesis. I then undertook postdoctoral positions at the William Harvey Research Institute (QMUL), where I used cellular models and in vivo pharmacology to identify strategies to protect kidneys from scarring (fibrosis), particularly in the context of diabetic nephropathy.

In 2019, I returned to Imperial College as a Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, focusing on how microbial metabolites affect kidney health. In 2022, I was awarded a Wellcome Trust ISSF Fellowship, which enabled me to further develop my independent research.

In 2023, I received an MRC Career Development Award, which I used to establish my own laboratory at Imperial. In 2025, I was appointed Assistant Professor in Host–Microbiome Interactions.

Work in my lab explores how chemical messengers (metabolites) produced by gut bacteria (the gut microbiome) affect the host at the molecular level. We are particularly interested in how the microbiome influences kidney function and associated risk factors, and how this translates into elevated cardiovascular risk in metabolic diseases. Our approach combines large-scale epidemiological studies with in vitro and in vivo validation in model systems to establish causality.

Students or postdocs interested in our work are very welcome to get in touch at p.andrikopoulos04@imperial.ac.uk.