DrPankaj Bhavsar, FRSB

I am a Senior Research Fellow at the National Heart & Lung Institute (NHLI), Imperial College London, an Academic Tutor at the Imperial College School of Medicine, and an Honorary Reader at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London. I trained as a molecular biologist and have extensive expertise in airway cell biology, immunology, and translational respiratory research, with a particular focus on severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

A defining feature of my research is the close integration of advanced human ex vivo models, patient-derived clinical samples, and multi-omics approaches to understand how the airway epithelium is damaged, how it repairs, and how therapies can be better targeted to support this repair. We work with bronchial biopsies, epithelial brushings, and nasal samples collected longitudinally from patients, particularly those starting or receiving biologic therapies. These samples are analysed using single-cell transcriptomics, DNA methylation profiling, high-resolution imaging, and functional epithelial assays.

My current research focuses on airway epithelial dysfunction and regeneration in chronic respiratory diseases, particularly severe asthma and COPD. My group develops and applies human-relevant airway systems, including air–liquid interface epithelial cultures, complex co-cultures with immune and stromal cells, and emerging 3D organotypic tissue-engineered airway models. These experimental platforms are closely linked to longitudinal clinical cohorts, allowing us to validate our findings directly against patient airway samples and clinical phenotypes.

Current Research Themes:

1. Phenotyping circulating and lung-resident eosinophils in severe asthma
   We use cellular, transcriptomic, and functional assays to understand how eosinophil heterogeneity and metabolic reprogramming contribute to disease persistence and response to biologic therapies.
2. Characterising the nasal and bronchial epithelium in severe eosinophilic asthma
   We investigate epithelial changes at baseline and following treatment with current anti-IL-5 and anti-IL-5R therapies, including mepolizumab and benralizumab. This includes detailed analysis of barrier integrity, mucus biology, and epithelial–immune crosstalk, linking epithelial repair to clinical outcomes.
3. Investigating mitochondrial function and cellular energetics in airway disease
   We study how mitochondrial function and cellular energetics in airway structural and immune cells influence inflammation, tissue remodelling, and treatment response across asthma and COPD.
4. Defining remodelling and regeneration in COPD following bronchial epithelial ablation
   We examine the cellular, transcriptomic, and epigenetic changes associated with airway remodelling and regeneration following targeted ablation and repopulation of the bronchial epithelium in COPD, such as metered cryospray. This work aims to identify pathways that can be harnessed for epithelium-directed regenerative therapies.

Across these themes, my work is strongly translational, leveraging clinical cohorts, longitudinal sampling, and collaboration with industry to develop mechanism-based precision therapies for patients with severe and heterogeneous airway disease.

Dr Bhavsar was awarded his PhD from the National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, in 1995. His doctoral research focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac-specific gene regulation, under the supervision of Dr Paul Barton and Dr Nigel Brand in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, then headed by Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub FRS. He became a Principal Investigator just 18 months into his postdoctoral career after receiving a project grant from the British Heart Foundation. In 2001, he was promoted to Research Lecturer, contributing to the Bridge to Recovery programme designed by Professor Yacoub, which explored alternative surgical treatments for end-stage heart failure.