MSATL 2017: Chairs
Professor Gavin Giovannoni MBBCh, PhD, FCP (S.A., Neurol.), FRCP, FRCPath
Gavin Giovannoni was appointed to the Chair of Neurology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London and the Department of Neurology, Barts and The London NHS Trust in November 2006. In September 2008 he took over as the Neuroscience and Trauma Centre Lead in the Blizard Institute. Gavin did his undergraduate medical training at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, where he graduated cum laude in 1987. He moved to the Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London in 1993 after completing his specialist training in neurology in South Africa. After three years as a clinical research fellow, under Professor Ed Thompson, and then two years as the Scarfe Lecturer, working for Professor W. Ian McDonald, he was awarded a PhD in immunology from the University of London in 1998.
He was appointed as a Clinical Senior Lecturer, Royal Free and University College Medical School, in 1998 and moved back to Institute of Neurology, Queen Square in 1999. He was promoted to Reader in Neuroimmunology in 2004. His clinical interests are multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system. He is particularly interested in clinical issues related to optimising MS disease modifying therapies. His current research is focused on Epstein Barr virus as a possible cause of multiple sclerosis, defining the “multiple sclerosis endophenotype”, multiple sclerosis related neurodegeneration, multiple sclerosis biomarker discovery, multiple sclerosis clinical outcomes and immune tolerance strategies. His team focus on translational research and therefore have an active clinical trial programme.
Professor William (Bill) Carroll MB BS, MD, FRACP FRCP(E)
A graduate of the University of Western Australia School of Medicine, Bill undertook training in neurology first in Australia then at the National Hospital, Queen Square, London with A M Halliday and W Ian McDonald during which he gained Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Physicians (FRACP), followed by visiting and working briefly at a number of US institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Mayo Clinic and the University California, Irvine before returning to Australia. His principal research activity has been in demyelinating disease; multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and experimental optic neuropathy and oligodendrocyte precursors in human optic nerve, as well as optic nerve electrophysiology for which he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD).
A past President of the Australian Association of Neurologists, Bill is presently, the Chair of the Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia International Research Review Board, a Director of Multiple Sclerosis Australia and MS Research Australia. He also served as Chair of the MS Research Australia Research Management Council for more than 10 years. He was the neurology editor of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine/Internal Medicine and remains the Asia Pacific editor of Multiple Sclerosis Journal. He is the foundation Vice President of PACTRIMS, was elected First Vice President of the WFN where he also chairs the WFN World Congress of Neurology Committee. He has recently stepped down as the Head of Neurology and Neurophysiology at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth and is an active member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the International Progressive MS Alliance.