Team members
Members
Dr Gerry Thompson
I am a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Radiology at the University of Edinburgh and an Honorary Consultant Neuroradiologist in the NHS Lothian Department of Clinical Neurosciences providing specialist neuro-oncology imaging diagnostics for South East Scotland. I trained in Radiology and Neuroradiology in the North West of England, completing a PhD in quantitative imaging biomarkers in glioma at the University of Manchester in 2012, before taking up an academic consultant post in Edinburgh in 2016. I am Co-Director (Neuro) for the University of Edinburgh/NHS Lothian Clinical Research Facility Image Analysis Core which provides imaging support for academic studies and clinical trials. My main research interests cover quantitative neuroimaging with MRI and PET, and studies into optimising timing of studies in brain tumour follow-up. I am the imaging co-lead for the multicentre Tessa Jowell Brain MATRIX clinical trial platform, and imaging lead for the multicentre NIHR-funded SPRING (seizure prophylaxis in glioma) clinical trial. I am the Edinburgh PI for the multicentre DIG (Diffusion in Glioma) study and provides local Radiological expert assessments for several international neuro-oncology clinical trials. I am a current member of the NCRI Brain Glioma Subgroup, and sit on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Brain Tumour Charity.
Professor Stavros Stivaros
I currently hold a NIHR Clinician Scientist Award at the University of Manchester. My research is focused on the development, validation and eventual translation of advanced multi-paramentric brain imaging in children. Part of this translation entails the development of computerised decision support systems to facilitate advanced imaging provision in clinical practice. Clinically I practice as an Honorary Consultant Paediatric Neuroradiologist in the department of Academic Department of Paediatric Radiology at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. I lead the paediatric neuro-radiological imaging unit in one of Europe’s largest children’s hospitals. As well as my academic work I am also heavily engaged in the provision of expert neuro-radiological assessment in child protection issues. I routinely provide evidence to the court on such matters and provide paediatric neuroradiological opinions at the joint Manchester/Liverpool Child Protection Peer Review meetings.
I was BSNR du Boulay Professor from 2012 to 2014 and a previous chair of the Academic Sub-Committee.
Dr Stefan Schwarz
I am a Consultant Neuroradiologist Cardiff University Hospitals and hold an Honorary Associate Professorship at the University of Nottingham, where I previously held an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship and subsequently and NIHR Clinical Lecturership.
Dr Grant Mair
I am a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Neuroradiologist and split my time between academic work at the University of Edinburgh and clinical work with NHS Lothian.
My primary research focus is the imaging of stroke, especially seeking relationships between imaging biomarkers and response to treatment, and exploring automated computational methods for assessment. I am particularly interested in maximising the benefit of baseline non-enhanced CT which is usually acquired first line in patients with symptoms of stroke.
Dr Harpreet Hyare
I am a Consultant Neuroradiologist at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Trust and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at UCL. I am the Lead Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Neuroradiologist for North London and also hold an Honorary Consultant position at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Having trained in Medicine at University of Cambridge, I completed a PhD at UCL in Neurodegeneration and a visiting Fellowship at University College Los Angeles (UCLA). My research interests include translating novel imaging and computational biomarkers in Neuro-oncology. I am Chair of the Research Subcommittee for the British Neuro-Oncological Society and am Clinical Liaison for the British and Irish Chapter of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Professor Dorothee Auer
I am Professor of Neuroimaging, Director of the Precision Imaging Beacon of Excellence at the University of Nottingham and theme lead for the MRI cross-cutting theme within the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre. I hold an Honorary Consultant Neuroradiologist post at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
I studied medicine in Duesseldorf (Germany), Belfast (UK) and Munich (Germany) holding a scholarship by the German People Foundation. I then trained as research associate in neurology (LMU, Munich), and as clinical fellow in euroradiology/radiology in Freiburg and Tuebingen. My dissertation (‘DM’, University of Freiburg) and Habilitation (‘PhD’, University of Marburg) focused on neuro MRI and MR spectroscopy. My research focusses on magnetic resonance imaging techniques to advance the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression, chronic pain, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and cancer, and I have received funding from national and International research councils, government and charities (DFG, EU, MRC, EPSRC, NIHR, Versus Arthritis, Stroke, Parkinson’s UK, MJFF). I am a fellow of the ISMRM.
Dr Samantha Mills
Chair, Academic Subcommittee
I am a Consultant Diagnostic Neuroradiologist based at the Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool and Honorary Senior Clincal Lecturer at the University of Liverpool. I undertook my joint RCR/CRUK Clinical Research Fellowship and PhD in Advanced Magnetic Imaging of Adult Brain Tumours at the University of Manchester. I have over 50 peer reviewed publications and remain academically active, in spite of being a full time clinician, involved in a number of externally funded research projects both locally and nationally covering neuro-oncology and neuro-inflammation. My main interests include perfusion imaging and imaging biomarkers. I was previously a joint BSNR/RCR du Boulay Professor (2019-2022). I am a Radiology research lead for CAMRIN, Merseyside regional radiology network.
Dr Cha-Ney Kim
Junior Representative (Interventional)
Dr Cha-ney Kim is currently an interventional neuroradiology fellow based in Hull. He is also currently the Junior Radiologists Forum representative for Hull. He has interests in medical education and has completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Professions Education. His clinical interests include acute stroke imaging and treatment and endovascular therapies for neurovascular conditions.
Dr Daniel Birchall
President
Dr Daniel Birchall has been a Consultant in Newcastle for 20 years, and has practised in interventional and in diagnostic Neuroradiology. He recently visited most centres as du Boulay travelling professor, and greatly enjoyed meeting so many friends and colleagues. He hopes to be able to serve the Neuroradiology community in his current role as best he can, and to help in guiding the BSNR forwards into the 2020’s.
Dr Dipayan Mitra
Treasurer
Dr Dipayan Mitra is a Consultant Neuroradiologist in Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne and Hon. Senior Lecturer in Newcastle University. He had been a past member of BSNR standards sub-committee, GMC fitness to practice panel and final FRCR paper setting panel. He is the CI of a BRC funded multi-centre study (SINONIMS) and involved in various capacities in a number of national and international trials.