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Professor Ponnusamy Saravanan

Job Title
Professor
Department
WMS - Health Sciences
Phone
+44 24 76865329
Research Interests

Sara mainly pursues 2 themes of research:

  • Understanding and prevention of adverse metabolic programming: The PRiDE study explored the role of novel factors in early pregnancy on the risk of Gestational Diabetes and cardio-metabolic risk of the offspring (PRiDE study). In addition to the PRiDE study, he has completed a number of clinical studies involving normal and diabetes pregnancies in India, Kenya and Malaysia and an ongoing study in Thailand. He is actively involved in mechanistic studies delineating the molecular mechanisms of nutritional imbalance in mothers and the effect on children.
  • Application of research evidence into clinical practice: For example, how best to implement the multi-factorial intervention in Diabetes, in particular in South Asian diabetes. He also actively pursues on developing and implementing "systems" that drives and delivers high quality of individualised, integrated care in diabetes at low cost.

His other interests are:

  • Health inequalities in South Asians and other BAME population - Role of diet, lifestyle, behaviour & psychological aspects in Diabetes.
    • Effect of maternal nutrition and offspring body composition
      • Generating population specific, evidence-based guidelines for Low and Middle Income Countries
        • Research capacity building in India and other Low and Middle Income Countries
Biography

Prof Ponnusamy Saravanan (known as Sara) was appointed as an Associate Clinical Professor & Honorary Consultant Physician in Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism in Feb 2007 and became a full professor in 2017. He did his research in Bristol and his specialist training in Bristol & Exeter. For his PhD, he conducted the world's largest clinical trial on the effects of combined T4/T3 (thyroid hormone replacement). His thyroid work was instrumental in changing the combined guidelines issued by American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists & American Thyroid Association.

Currently, Prof Saravanan pursue his longterm interest of research in to the mechanisms of Gestational Diabetes and its ethnic variations. He passionately believes in 'primordial prevention' of metabolic disorders. He approaches this by focusing on the nutrition and metabolic health of young women in pregnancy and Gestational Diabetes (GDM). To this end he has recently completed MRC funded studies in the UK (PRiDE study: multi-ethnic early pregnancy cohort; n=4750), India and Kenya (STRiDE; n=3100 and 4000). He is the metabolic lead for early pregnancy studies in Malaysia (MAGIC; n=5200) and Thailand (TaRGET; n=4260). All these studies are designed to address some of the unanswered questions in the field of 'Metabolic disorders in Pregnancy' and 'Prevention of NCDs in young mothers and their children'.

He has setup a fully funded international Doctoral Training Program (iDTP) for Indian graduates at Warwick, with a view to generate research capacity in India. He has more than 100 publications in various international journals, including NEJM, Lancet, BMJ, Plos Medicine, Diabetes Care and Diabetologia.

  • Saravanan, Ponnusamy, Patel, Vinod, O'Hare, J., Kumar, Sudhesh, 2016. Integrated diabetes care : Coventry and Warwickshire approach. In Simmons, David; Wenzel , Helmut; Zgibor , Janice C. (eds.), Integrated Diabetes Care : A Multidisciplinary Approach, Heidelberg, Springer International Publishing, pp. 147-168
Title Funder Award start Award end
Supplement Award to Role of vitamin B12 and folate imbalance on Gestational Diabetes (GDM) and metabolic risk of the offspring. See Proposal 49867 PEAPOD for Clinical Fellows George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 01 Feb 2017 22 Feb 2026
George Elliot Hospitsl NHS Trust: RCF funding: Evaluation of West Midlands Regional Familial Hypercholesterolemia Service. George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 01 Oct 2021 31 Dec 2024
Novo Nordisk agreement for international research and doctoral training studentships Novo Nordisk A/S 01 Feb 2019 31 Jan 2024
MRC Population & Systems Medicine lead by Univ of Leeds:entitled "MICA: Understanding the glycemic profile of pregnancy: intensive CGM glucose profiling and its relationship to fetal growth", MRC 05 Oct 2020 04 Oct 2023
MnCA agreement linked to award on 65610 for Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund:Contribution of energy EXPEnditure to post-paRTum weight retention in women following GDM pregnancy (EXPERT-GDM): Pilot studyMedical and Life Sciences Research Fund:Contribution of energy EXPEnditure to post-paRTum weight retention in women following GDM pregnancy (EXPERT-GDM): Pilot study University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 01 Mar 2022 31 Mar 2023
CoA Role of HbA1c and 50g GCT in early detection and prediction of Gestational Diabetes and associated maternal and fetal complications in Thailand linked to UK Research and Innovation 01 Apr 2021 31 Mar 2022
Co-Sponsorship Agreement with George Eliot for WCPRS studentship - link to 55104 George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 01 Jul 2019 30 Jun 2021
Role of HbA1c and 50g GCT in early detection and prediction of gestational diabetes and associated maternal and fetal complications in Thailand MRC 01 Apr 2018 31 Mar 2021
WMS: WCPRS with BHR Pharmaceutical Ltd BHR Pharmaceutical Ltd 01 Oct 2017 31 Mar 2021
Freeze dried broccoli as a dietary intervention to reduce cardiometabolic risk in post-partum GDM women. Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation 01 Nov 2016 31 Jan 2020
Gestational hyperglycaemia in Malaysia: early screening and intervention MRC 03 Jan 2017 31 Dec 2019
Risk stratification of gestational diabetes in India and Kenya. MRC 14 Jul 2015 31 Jul 2019
Role of Vitamin B12 on obesity and diabetes The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust 01 Jun 2016 31 May 2019
Clinical RF funding - PEAPOD PRiDE George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 01 Mar 2016 01 Apr 2019
The role of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and its association with gestational diabetes mellitus and impact on inflammation King Saud University 30 Sep 2013 30 Sep 2017
Role of B12 and Folate on Differentiation of adipocytes and myocytes Agreement 8 George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 01 Jul 2016 30 Jun 2017
PRIDE extension costs MRC 01 Dec 2015 31 Mar 2017
PEAPOD Warwickshire Private Hospitals Charitable Trust 31 Aug 2015 30 Aug 2016
Role of B12 and Folate on Differentiation of adipocytes and myocytes George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 01 Apr 2015 30 Jun 2016
CRN strategic funding Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust - New Cross Hospital 26 Mar 2015 25 Mar 2016
Role of B12 and Folate on differentiation of adipocytes and myocytes - extension 5 George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 01 Apr 2014 31 Mar 2015
Research Fellow Funding Additional Supplemental George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 01 Mar 2012 31 Mar 2015
Support for two 0.75FTE Research Fellows to work on the MRC Study George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 01 Mar 2012 31 Mar 2015
ICMR-MRC FULL application: Non-Communicable Disease Research Funding MRC 01 Nov 2011 31 Oct 2014
RMRV0033 - Variation No. 4 - Role of B12/Folate on adipocyte and mycoyte differentiation George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 06 Sep 2013 31 Mar 2014
Funding for 0.5 FTE Amith Gopinath 2013/14 Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 01 Apr 2013 31 Mar 2014
Variation No. 2: Role of B 12 and folate on the diffemtia George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 01 Nov 2012 30 Apr 2013
Funding for GEH Host costs Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 01 Feb 2013 31 Mar 2013
Funding for 0.5WTE Amith Gopinath Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 01 Apr 2012 31 Mar 2013
Research nurse support at GEH - Via Warwick Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 01 Apr 2012 31 Mar 2013
FSF 2011/12 Full Time Research Nurse (support recruitment to MRC-GDM study) Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 01 Feb 2012 31 Jan 2013
Continuation of Thames Valley DLRN Funding 2010/11 FSF Funding (50% Band 5 Research Co-ordinator April 11 - March 12) Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 05 Mar 2012 31 Dec 2012
Extension - Role of B12 and folate on the differntiation University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 01 Feb 2012 31 Dec 2012
F&S funding for Project Manager supporting the PRiDE (MRC-GDM) study. Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 09 Mar 2012 30 Sep 2012
Funding for a Research Nurse for 2011/2012 Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 05 Mar 2012 31 Aug 2012
Supplement/Extension - Role of B12/Folate on adipocyte and mycoyte differentiation George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 22 Jul 2011 29 Feb 2012
FSF Funding (60% Research Nurse for 12 months) Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 14 Dec 2010 13 Dec 2011
Role of B12/ Folate on adipocyte and mycoyte differentialtion George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 15 Jul 2010 05 Jul 2011
Thames Valley DLRN Funding 2010/11FSF Funding (50% Band 5 Research Co-ordinator April 10 - March 11) Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 01 Feb 2011 31 Mar 2011
FSF Funding (50% Band 4 Research Co-ordinator April 09 - March 10) Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 01 Feb 2011 31 Mar 2011
Flexibility and sustanability funding 09/10 - support staff time Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 02 Aug 2010 31 Dec 2010
Role of B12 and folate on the differntiation of adipocytes and myoctes: A mechanism to prevent diabetes epidemic University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 01 Jan 2010 31 Dec 2010
Flexibility and sustainability: Diabetes specialist Nurse National Institute for Health Research (DoH) 02 Aug 2010 31 Aug 2010
Flexability & Sustainability Finding for ICCD Project Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 01 Mar 2009 31 Aug 2010
Additional Funding for Supporting Recruitment to ICCD Project Thames Valley Diabetes Local Research Network (TV DLRN) 01 Mar 2009 30 Aug 2010
To Develop an Affordable Ubiquitous Generic Method of Monitoring Chronic Disease in a Community Based Programme Aston University 15 Jun 2008 15 Dec 2008