John Aaron Henry

Research

My research interests are in cardiac metabolism and how this can be imaged using advanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) techniques. I am interested in understanding how the heart produces and uses energy to pump and how this becomes deranged in heart failure.

My previous work has focused on the metabolic derangement induced by the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin in a rodent model of cardiotoxicity, showing early derangements in myocardial energetics which precede overt systolic dysfunction. More recently I have investigated the ability of novel therapeutic agents to alter myocardial metabolism in the setting of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). I have also used advanced CMR to define the novel cardiovascular phenotype of inflammatory conditions such as IgG4 related disease and to assess changes in cardiac remodelling which occur following bariatric surgery. I am project lead on JeFF: Jersey Fighting Failure which seeks to revolutionise heart failure care on Jersey and has been selected as pilot project for the British Society of Heart Failure's 25 in 25 initiative. 

I also have experience of large-scale clinical trials through my involvement as a research assistant on the ChAdOx-1 COVID-19 vaccine trials. I also have experience working with large databases such as QResearch.

Background

I am an Academic Clinical Fellow in Cardiology at Oxford University Hospitals and an Honorary Research Fellow at Jersey General Hospital. I am also a Stipendiary Lecturer in Medicine at Somerville College, University of Oxford, where I was an undergraduate student. Outside clinical, research and teaching activities I have a keen interest in rugby union, having gained 4 Rugby Blues at Oxford and played in the Universities World Cup in Japan in 2019.