Clinical Research Associate

Email: ea431@medschl.cam.ac.uk

Tel: 01223 747232

Google Scholar | ORCID | PubMed

Background

Elias is a public health doctor and clinical epidemiologist. He completed his PhD at the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit of the University of Cambridge in 2020, focusing on the effects of blood donation and iron homeostasis on health outcomes. Prior to this, Elias completed specialty training in public health medicine at the University of Turin, Italy, and medical school at the University of Piemonte Orientale, Italy. Elias is an honorary public health consultant at the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England. In 2021, he was elected to the Fellowship of the UK Faculty of Public Health.

Elias lectures in the Research Skills module of the MPhil in Population Health Sciences at the University of Cambridge, where he is also a supervisor. Previously, Elias taught research methods and epidemiology at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in Italy and the UK. In 2022, Elias was awarded Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

Research interests

Elias investigates the aetiological relevance of molecular and environmental/behavioural risk factors on cardiovascular and other major diseases. He is particularly interested in providing actionable insights that can be generalised as widely as possible, particularly among traditionally underrepresented non-European-ancestry populations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Elias joined the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium. He led internal auditing efforts to enable swift and geographically homogeneous sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 samples across the UK. In this capacity, he also participated in the activities of the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) Ethnicity Subgroup.

Selected Publications

Biomedical determinants of health

1. Codd V, Wang Q*, Allara E*, Musicha C*, Kaptoge S*, [22 authors], Samani NJ. Polygenic basis and biomedical consequences of telomere length variation. Nat Genet. 2021; 53(10):1425-1433
2. Bell S*, Stribolt Rigas A*, Magnusson MK*, Ferkingstad E*, Allara E*, [52 co-authors], Di Angelantonio E, Ullum H, Stefansson K. A genome-wide meta-analysis yields 46 new loci associating with biomarkers of iron homeostasis. Commun Biol. 2021; 3;4(1):156
3. Larsson SC, Lee WH, Burgess S, Allara E. Plasma Cortisol and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Mendelian Randomization Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021; 106(7):e2521-e2526
4. Pinato DJ, Howlett S, [17 co-authors], Allara E*, Bower M*. Association of Prior Antibiotic Treatment With Survival and Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Patients With Cancer. JAMA Oncol. 2019 Sep 12. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.2785.
5. Allara E, [10 co-authors], Burgess S. Genetic determinants of lipids and cardiovascular disease outcomes: a wide-angled Mendelian randomization investigation. Circ Genom Precis Med. 2019; 12(12):e002711

Environmental/behavioural determinants of health

1. Bountziouka V*, Musicha C*, Allara E, [9 authors], Samani NJ. Modifiable traits, healthy behaviours, and leukocyte telomere length: a population-based study in UK Biobank. Lancet Healthy Longev. 2022; 3(5):e321-e331
2. Allara E, [8 co-authors], Faggiano F. Effects of a prevention program on multiple health-compromising behaviours in adolescence: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Prev Med. 2019 Jul;124:1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.04.001
3. Ripoll Gallardo A*, Pacelli B*, [5 co-authors], Allara E. Medium- and long-term health effects of earthquakes in high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Epidemiol. 2018 Aug 1;47(4):1317-1332.
4. Allara E, Ferri M, Bo A, Gasparrini A, Faggiano F. Are mass-media campaigns effective in preventing drug use? A Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2015 Sep 3;5(9):e007449.
5. Faggiano F, Allara E, [6 co-authors, Patricia Conrod. Europe Needs a Central, Transparent, and Evidence-Based Approval Process for Behavioural Prevention Interventions. PLoS Med. 2014 Oct 7;11(10):e1001740

* denotes equal contribution

Additional Information

Elias maintains interest in researching the biomedical and environmental/behavioural causes of cardiovascular and other major diseases, especially in underrepresented communities, and is open to requests for collaborations.