Vikas Kapil
Clinical Pharmacologist
Dr Kapil trained at the University of Cambridge and UCL, followed by postgraduate training in Clinical Pharmacology mainly at St Bartholomew’s and Royal London Hospitals. His research career started at William Harvey Research Institute investigating inorganic nitrate as a source of nitric oxide via oral bacterial reduction. Important discoveries included demonstrations that inorganic nitrate lowers blood pressure and protects against endothelial dysfunction, identifying crucial sex differences in metabolism. Further research interests in novel pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment schedules for difficult-to control-hypertension have followed, leveraging the expertise in the Barts Blood Pressure Centre of Excellence. He has chaired the Barts Medicine Safety Committee for several years and more recently moved to oversee Medicines Expenditure in the trust. He was a commissioner on the 2025 Lancet Commission on Ischaemic Heart Disease. He is an active educator at undergraduate and postgraduate courses and is deputy lead for education at William Harvey Research Institute and heavily involved in preparing MBBS students for the national PSA exam.
