About

I am a hepatic toxicologist with a strong background in Immunology. I completed my PhD in Toxicology from Heriot Watt University (2013). Since then I have been predominately involved in research and teaching in the fields of toxicology, nanotoxicology and nanomedicine in both academic and industrial settings including employment at the University of Copenhagen, Heriot Watt University, The French Institute of Health and Medical Research and Unilever.

I am University of Derby REF co-lead for Unit of Assessment 3 (Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy).

Teaching responsibilities

I teach across many modules across the Biomedical Science and Human Biology programmes. Additionally, I am the module lead for 'Chemistry of Life' and 'Applied Immunology'.

Research interests

My areas of active research can be divided into five broad categories:

• Advanced cell culture and new approach methodologies with emphasis on the design and standardisation of more physiological and pathophysiological in vitro models for next-generation toxicity testing
• Investigating the adverse effects of micro/nano plastic exposure on human health
• Investigating the hazards of e-cigarettes to human health
• Investigating the role of gut microbiome in the development and progression of liver disease and type II diabetes
• Design and use of lipid and protein-based nanomedicines

Membership of professional bodies

• British Toxicology Society
• European registered toxicologist
• Humane Research Trust scientific advisor
• Member of Midlands Liver Research Alliance
• Member of East Midlands Microbiome Research Network

Qualifications

• PhD Toxicology
• MRes Immunology
• BSc (Hons) Immunology
• Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Recent conferences

• University of Plymouth Centre of Environmental Hepatology - September 2026 - Plymouth, UK 
• 2^nd International Summit on Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology (May 2024) Prague, Czechia 
• Animal Free Research UK Science Conference (October 2023) Cambridge, UK
• Medilink Midlands event - Introduction to OMICS research (November 2022) Derby, UK
• 13^th International Particle Toxicology Conference (August 2022) Sante Fe, USA
• Workshop of liver disease – NHS Lothian (November 2021) online
• Workshop on harmonization of standard operating procedures (May 2021) online
• Workshop on Nanosafety - InSphero (December 2020) Zurich, Switzerland 
• Cardiff University (September 2019) Cardiff, UK 
• Twelfth International Particle Toxicology Conference (September 2019) Salzburg, Switzerland
• Workshop on harmonization of standard operating procedures - A joined PATROLS and GRACIOUS Nanosafety Cluster event (June 2018) Bilthoven, The Netherlands  
• Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen (July 2016) Munich, Germany 
• Technical University of Denmark (April 2016) Copenhagen, Denmark 
• Seventh International Symposium on Nanotechnology, Occupational and Environmental Health (October 2015) Johannesburg, South Africa
• Centre of Biomembranes in Nanomedicine annual meeting (April 2015) Copenhagen, Denmark
• National Research Centre for Working Environment (November 2014) Copenhagen, Denmark
• International user group meeting of InSphero and Cambridge Bioscience (March 2014) Cambridge, UK

Experience in industry

I have industrial experience having being employed at Unilever. Currently I have very close ties and active research with a number of industrial partners including InSphero (Switzerland), Cell Guidance Systems (UK) and Predictcan (France).

International experience

• Editorial board member Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health - Part B
• Editorial board member Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
• Editorial Board member in Biochemistry Research International
• Editorial board member Discover Toxicology

In the media

• BBC food - Microplastics: How much are we actually eating - and does it matter? - May 20026
• The SUN - Human health implications of e-cigarettes to human health - April 2026
• BBC East Midlands Today - Human and environmental impact of the ban of disposable vapes - June 2025
• BBC Radio Derby - Human and environmental impact of the ban of disposable vapes - June 2025
• Daily Mail - Dangers and prevalence of illegal and counterfeit e-cigarettes - May 2025
• Mail on Sunday - Toxic materials in e-cigarettes - April 2025
• The SUN - Nicotine pouches - February 2025
• BBC East midlands Today - effects of unregulated e-cigarettes on human health - January 2025
• BBC news - Adverse effects of unregulated e-cigarettes on human health - January 2025
• BBC Radio Derby - Dangers of e-cigarettes to human health - January 2025
• The SUN - Regulation and dangers of nicotine pouches to human health - November 2024
• Stylist - Difficulties of quitting e-cigarettes - September 2024
• The SUN - E-cigarette adverse effects - February 2024
• Animal Free Research UK Podcast - The use of new approach methodologies for enhancement of science - November 2023
• BBC East Midlands Today TV - Adverse effects of counterfeit e-cigarettes on human health - August 2023
• BBC Radio Derby - Dangers of e-cigarettes to human health - July 2023
• Stylist - Health risks of vaping - June 2023
• Daily Express - e-cigarette toxicity - April 2023

Recent publications

• 61 peer reviewed manuscripts
• 9 peer reviewed book chapters

For a full list of my publications see my ORCID profile.

Selected publications

• Guraka A, Title AC, Shawa IT, Moritz W, Tripathi G, Kermanizadeh A. 2026. An in vitro investigation of diet-influenced gut bacterial metabolites on the onset of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus using a multi-cellular human primary islet model. NAM journal 2: 100076
• Guraka A, Lush M, Zouganelis G, Waldron J, Mekapothula SR, Masania J, Vaughan Cave, Conway ME, Tripathi G, Kermanizadeh A. 2026. Investigating the role of diet-manipulated gut bacteria in pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus - an in vitro Nutrients 18: 279

• Kermanizadeh A, Brown DM, Moritz A. 2025. Editorial: Next generation micro-physiological systems for pragmatic use in regular Industrial workflow. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 13: 1607979.

• Guraka A, Mierlea S, Drake SJ, Shawa IT, Waldron J, Corcoran M, Dowse D, Walkman D, Burn L, Sivasubramaniam S, Kermanizadeh A. 2024. A comprehensive toxicological analysis of panel of unregulated e-cigarettes to human health. Toxicology 509: 153964
• Guraka A, Souch G, Duff R, Brown D, Moritz W, Kermanizadeh A. 2024. Microplastic-induced hepatic adverse effects evaluated in advanced quadruple cell human primary models following three weeks of repeated exposure. Chemosphere 364: 143032
• Guraka A, Sreedharan S, Arasaradnam R, Tripathi G, Kermanizadeh A. 2024. The role of gut microbiome in development and progression of type 2 diabetes and liver disease. Accepted in Nutrition Reviews
• Williamson J, Kermanizadeh A. 2024. A review of toxicological profile of Fentanyl - a 2024 update. Toxics 12: 690
• Guraka A, Duff R, Waldron J, Tripathi G, Kermanizadeh A. 2024. Co-culture of gut bacteria and metabolite extraction using fast vacuum filtration and centrifugation. Methods and Protocols 7: 74
• Hristozov D, Badetti E, Bigini P, Brunelli A , Dekkers S, Diomede L, Doak SH, Fransman W, Gajewicz-Skretna, Giubilato E, Gómez-Cuadrado L, Grafström R, Gutleb RC, Halappanavar S, Hischier R, Hunt N, Katsumiti A, Kermanizadeh A, Marcomini A, Moschini E, Oomen A, Pizzol L, Rumbo C, Schmid O, Shandilya N, Stone V, Stoycheva S, Stoeger T, Suarez Merino B, Tran L, Tsiliki G, Vogel UB, Wohlleben W, Zabeo A. 2024. Next generation risk assessment approaches for advanced nanomaterials: current status and future perspectives. NanoImpact 35: 100523
• Allison R, Guraka A, Shawa IT, Tripathi G, Moritz W, Kermanizadeh A. 2023. Drug induced liver injury - a 2023 update. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B: Critical Reviews 26: 442-467
• Yu H, O’Neill S, Kermanizadeh A. 2023. AIMS: An automatic semantic machine learning microservice framework to support biomedical and bioengineering research. Bioengineering 10: 1134
• Sreedharan S, Zouganelis G, Drake SJ, Tripathi G, Kermanizadeh A. 2023. Nanomaterial-induced toxicity in pathophysiological models representative of individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B: Critical Reviews 26: 1-27
• Kermanizadeh A, Valli J, Sanchez K, Hutter S, Pawlowska A, Whyte G, Moritz W, Stone V. 2022. Particulate and drug induced toxicity assessed in novel quadruple cell human primary hepatic disease models of steatosis and pre-fibrotic NASH. Archives of Toxicology 96: 287-303
• Kermanizadeh A, Jacobsen NR, Mroczko A, Brown D, Stone V. 2022. Acute hazard assessment of silver nanoparticles following intratracheal instillation, oral and intravenous injection exposures. Nanotoxicology 15: 1295-1311
• Verdon R, Stone V, Murphy F, Johnston, H, Doak S, Honarvar N, Vogel U, Haase A, Kermanizadeh A. 2022. The application of existing genotoxicity. methodologies for grouping of nanomaterials: Towards an integrated approach to testing and assessment. Particle and Fibre Toxicology 19: 32
• Kermanizadeh A, Jacobsen NR, Murphy F, Powell L, Parry L, Zhang H, Moller P. 2020. A review of the current state of nanomedicines for targeting and treatment of cancers - achievements and future challenges. Advanced Therapeutics DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202000186
• Kermanizadeh A, Powell LG, Stone V. 2020. A review of hepatic nanotoxicology - summation of recent findings and considerations for the next generation of study designs. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B: Critical Reviews 23: 137-176
• Kermanizadeh A, Berthing T, Guzniczak E, Wheeldon M, Whyte G, Vogel U, Moritz W, Stone V. 2019. Assessment of nanoparticle-induced hepatotoxicity using a 3D human primary multi-cellular microtissue exposed repeatedly over 21 days - suitability of the in vitro test system as an in vivo surrogate. Particle and Fibre Toxicology 16: 42
• Kermanizadeh A, Brown DM, Moritz W, Stone V. 2019. The importance of inter-individual Kupffer cell variability in the governance of hepatic toxicity in a 3D primary human liver microtissue model. Nature Scientific Reports 9: 7295
• Kermanizadeh A, Brown DM, Stone V. 2019. The variances in cytokine production profiles from non- or activated THP-1, Kupffer cell and human blood derived primary macrophages following exposure to either alcohol or a panel of engineered nanomaterials. Plos One 14: e0220974