DrRavi Mehta

I am a physician-scientist specialising in Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine, working at the interface of clinical care, diagnostics, and translational science.

My research focusses on developing rapid host-response diagnostics to distinguish viral from bacterial infections at the point of care. The work centres on ddhC, a novel antiviral biomarker discovered in my prior research. I am now translating this science into scalable, low-cost diagnostics, with expertise in aptamer generation for clinically deployable assays. This work aims to:
- enable rapid infection stratification
- reduce unnecessary antibiotic use
- strengthen pandemic preparedness

Alongside this, I continue to train as an Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine registrar, with experience across the UK and internationally, including roles in Brazil, Tanzania, and New Zealand. My research spans viral neuropathology and outbreak response, including investigation of Zika and chikungunya epidemics in Brazil. 

In addition to my PhD and Academic Clinical Fellowship at Imperial College London, my academic training includes a first-class BA in Medical Sciences and academic scholarship from Oxford, and a clinical distinction in Medicine from UCL. I hold an MPhil in Infectious Diseases and a distinction in the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from Liverpool University, alongside Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians. I am strongly committed to medical education, having founded the education section of UCL Medical Society and received multiple teaching awards.

In 2022, I was selected among the top 1% of over 22,000 candidates in the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Recruitment.