Member Spotlight: Rikeish Muralitheran

Member Spotlight: Rikeish Muralitharan

Rikeish Muralitheran is a research fellow in the Hypertension Research Laboratory at Monash University and has been a member of Hypertension Australia since 2019. Rikesh’s research focuses on uncovering novel approaches to prevent, detect, and manage high blood pressure, particularly through the gut microbiome. 

What inspired your interest in Hypertension?

What piqued my interest was that hypertension is the leading cause of death worldwide and it is (mostly) preventable and yet such a high burden of disease. I am also interested in hypertension due to its complexity – almost every system in the mammalian body contributes to blood pressure regulation. Many of my family members are also affected by hypertension so this also makes it a personal mission to me.

Tell us about your research or initiatives focused on preventing, detecting, and managing high blood pressure and its complications.

In the 1970s it was shown that a high-fibre diet was protective in hypertension, but the underlying mechanisms were unclear. More recently, our group has shown that a high-fibre diet reduces blood pressure by modulating the gut microbiome. When a high-fibre diet is consumed, bacteria can ferment fibre produce short-chain fatty acids. We have shown that short-chain fatty acid supplementation too can reduce blood pressure in both animal models (Marques et al., 2017) and human hypertension (Jama et al., Nature CVR 2023).

My research focus has been on leveraging the gut microbiota and host signalling of gut microbiota-derived metabolites to develop innovative treatments for hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. In one of my recent publications in January 2025 published in Circulation Research, I demonstrate that host receptors to short-chain fatty acids (microbiome by-products) are protective in hypertension. This further solidifies gut-to-host communication in hypertension. By understanding the underlying mechanisms, we can develop new therapeutics for hypertension, which is urgently required for hypertension.

Targeting gut-to-host communication to combat hypertension.

Rikeish Muralitheran

Have you received any awards, grants, or publications for your work related to Hypertension?

  • Shortlisted for the Australian Vascular Biology Early Career Investigator Award 2024, International Society of Hypertension New Investigator Award 2022, and Cardiac Society of Australia New Zealand Ralph Reader Prize finalist in 2023.
  • Currently a co-investigator of two grants related to hypertension (Heart Foundation and Australian Stroke and Heart Research Accelerator Grant).

Grants

  • Recipient of chief investigator grant from the Foundation of High Blood Pressure Research Australia. This grant will partially fund a clinical trial to further understand the gut-brain axis in hypertension. Watch this space!

Publications

  • Gut microbiota metabolites sensed by host GPR41/43 protect against hypertension (Circ Res 2025).
  • Influence of angiotensin II on the gut microbiome: modest effects in comparison to experimental factors (Card Res 2024).
  • Guidelines for microbiome studies in renal physiology (AJP Renal 2023).
  • Microbial peer pressure: the role of the gut microbiota in hypertension and its complications (Hypertension 2020).

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love going for walks, trivia, and enjoy exploring food and wine.

Do you have any travel adventures or bucket list destinations you're hoping to experience?

Paris is on the top of the list!

What's the last great book you read, movie you saw, or show you watched?

Book – Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (David Epstein)
Show – Apple Cider Vinegar

Where can we find out more about your work with Hypertension?