Pair of IMMCG early-career researchers invited to join ATVB Editorial Board

A pair of early-career researchers for the Immunology Center of Georgia, part of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, have earned significant recognition this summer. Redouane Aherrahrou, PhD, and Ravi Komaravolu, PhD, have both been invited to join the Editorial Board of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, or ATVB, one of the premier publications for the American Heart Association.

Both Aherrahrou and Komaravolu previously served on the Early Career Editorial Board for ATVB and will now serve on the full Editorial Board for a two-year term. Adil Rasheed, PhD, an assistant professor also in IMMCG, recently rotated off the Editorial Board.

“Serving on editorial boards is key for building up name recognition for young researchers,” said Klaus Ley, MD, co-director of the Immunology Center of Georgia, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and professor of physiology. “For our center to have two currently serving and one recently rotating off emphasizes the level of expertise we have recruited to Augusta University and the Immunology Center of Georgia. This experience will serve both Dr. Aherrahrou and Dr. Komaravolu well as they continue to advance in their careers.”

ATVB is under the leadership of Ann Marie Schmidt, MD, the Dr. Iven Young Professor of Endocrinology in the Department of Medicine and a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and Department of Pathology with the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, who serves as Editor-in-Chief.

Aherrahrou is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology of MCG, as well as the principal investigator for the Aherrahrou Lab in IMMCG, having joined AU in the fall of 2025. His research focuses on elucidating the genetic and genomic mechanisms underlying atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, also known as ASCVD, integrating vascular biology, gene regulation, genetics and bioinformatics. A Fellow of the American Heart Association, Aherrahrou holds two PhDs in Animal Biotechnology from Université Moulay Ismail in Morocco and in Cardiovascular Genetics from the University of Lübeck in Germany.

“It is a great honor to join the Editorial Board of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology after previously serving on its Early Career Editorial Board,” Aherrahrou said. “This appointment reflects an important milestone in my academic career, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to one of the leading journals in cardiovascular research. I look forward to supporting the journal’s commitment to rigorous peer review and advancing impactful research in vascular biology, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease genetics.”

On top of being invited to serve on the ATVB Editorial Board, Aherrahrou recently learned he had been invited to serve as a speaker at the 2027 “Atherosclerosis” Gordon Research Seminar, to be held in Barcelona, Spain, in conjunction with the Atherosclerosis Gordon Research Conference. Speakers were selected by students and demonstrate their growing role in global research.

The Atherosclerosis GRS provides a unique forum for young doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to present their work, discuss new methods, cutting edge ideas and pre-published data, as well as build collaborative relationships with their peers. Experienced mentors and trainee moderators will facilitate active participation in scientific discussion to allow all attendees to be engaged participants rather than spectators.

The conference program includes a mentorship component that connects early career scientists with experienced scientists in an informal setting to support career development, exchange of knowledge and networking. The program will also incorporate talks from submitted abstracts to capture the latest results and provide ample presentation opportunities for trainees and students.

“I am also honored to have been invited to serve as a career panelist at the 2027 Atherosclerosis Gordon Research Seminar,” Aherrahrou said. “The seminar provides an outstanding forum for mentoring the next generation of scientists, and I look forward to sharing my experiences in building an independent research program, navigating career transitions, and discussing the opportunities and challenges of academic research with graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.”

Komaravolu is a research faculty scientist and senior member of the Hedrick Lab under the direction of Catherine “Lynn” Hedrick, PhD, Georgia Research Alliance Bradley Turner Eminent Scholar in Vascular and Cancer Immunology, co-director or IMMCG, and professor in MCG’s Department of Medicine. Komaravolu has been with IMMCG since its founding in the fall of 2022 after his research work for three years at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. He holds a PhD in Vascular Medicine from Heidelberg University in Germany.

“’It is an honor to join the Editorial Board of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, one of the American Heart Association’s flagship journals and a leading platform for advancing vascular biology research,” Komaravolu said. “Joining the board provides me with a unique opportunity to stay current with emerging discoveries that are shaping the field. I am especially grateful to our directors, Dr. Catherine Lynn Hedrick and Dr. Klaus Ley, whose leadership and commitment to scientific excellence have helped train us to critically evaluate complex scientific questions and contribute to the advancement of the field.”

On top of the honor of being invited to serve on the Editorial Board for ATVB, Komaravolu and Hedrick were invited to serve as topic editors for the Frontiers Research topic “Myeloid Heterogeneity in Inflammaging.” Submissions are currently being gathered through March 30, 2027.

“This timely topic brings together mechanistic, translational, and clinical perspectives to understand better how myeloid cell diversity evolves during aging and contributes to chronic inflammation and disease,” Komaravolu said. “We hope this collection will provide new insights into the biology of myeloid cells and foster discussions that advance the field.”