Margaret M. Esiri DM FRCPath
Research Areas
Medical Sciences Division Themes
- Neuroscience
Neuroscience Sub-Themes
Neuroscience Keywords
- Ageing
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Autism
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Axon Degeneration
- Cerebrovascular Disorders
- Dementia
- Demyelination
- Encephalitis
- Human
- Hypothalamus
- Inflammation
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neurodegeneration
- Neuropathology
Techniques and Equipment
| margaret.esiri@clneuro.ox.ac.uk | |
| Department | Department of Clinical Neurology |
| College | St Hugh's College |
I have a longstanding interest in the neuropathology of multiple sclerosis, particularly the neurodegeneration that occurs in that disease. This includes the loss of nerve fibres (axons) as well as changes that occur in the cerebral cortex. Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease and other inflammatory diseases are also a longstanding interest, ranging from acute diseases such as herpes simplex encephalitis and cerebral malaria to longer lasting ones such as HIV encephalitis.
The other main group of diseases that have preoccupied me over a long period of time are those that cause dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease and vascular causes of dementia. Clinico-pathological correlations have been made within the OPTIMA project, a longitudinal study of dementia with follow-up to death and, in many cases, post mortem examination. In contrast to the OPTIMA work, which is concerned with selected cases of dementia (and healthy controls) I also participate in the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study, a nationwide longitudinal study of unselected elderly subjects in which some participants consent to post mortem examination of their brains.
A recently acquired interest is autism in which I am studying the hypothalamus in collaboration with Prof John Morris (Dept of Anatomy).
In the recent past I have collaborated with Prof Tim Crow on studies of the neuropathology of schizophrenia.
All of these interests are dependent on having access to post mortem brains for which next-of-kin have given informed consent for research use of the tissue. I direct the Thomas Willis Oxford Brain Collection, one of the largest repositories of such tissue in the UK. This is used not only to further research within Oxford but also for bone fide researchers worldwide.
Biography
I received my medical education and postgraduate training at Oxford and have held a part-time personal Chair and Honorary Consultant post with the Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust since 1996.
Selected Publications
- Esiri M M (2007) Ageing and the brain. J Pathol, 211(2):181-7.
- Esiri M M and Chance S A (2006) Vulnerability to Alzheimer's pathology in neocortex: the roles of plasticity and columnar organization. J Alzheimers Dis, 9(3 Suppl):79-89.
- Wegner C, Esiri M M, Chance S A, Palace J, and Matthews P M (2006) Neocortical neuronal, synaptic, and glial loss in multiple sclerosis. Neurology, 67(6):960-7.
- DeLuca G C, Ebers G C, and Esiri M M (2004) Axonal loss in multiple sclerosis: a pathological survey of the corticospinal and sensory tracts. Brain, 127(Pt 5):1009-18.
- Medana I M and Esiri M M (2003) Axonal damage: a key predictor of outcome in human CNS diseases. Brain, 126(Pt 3):515-30.
- Cifelli Alberto, Arridge Marzena, Jezzard Peter, Esiri Margaret M, Palace Jacqueline, and Matthews Paul M (2002) Thalamic neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis. Ann Neurol, 52(5):650-3.
- Medana Isabelle M, Day Nicholas P, Hien Tran T, Mai Nguyen TH, Bethell Delia, Phu Nguyen H, Farrar Jeremy, Esiri Margaret M, White Nicholas J, and Turner Gareth D (2002) Axonal injury in cerebral malaria. Am J Pathol, 160(2):655-66.
- Evangelou N, Konz D, Esiri M M, Smith S, Palace J, and Matthews P M (2001) Size-selective neuronal changes in the anterior optic pathways suggest a differential susceptibility to injury in multiple sclerosis. Brain, 124(Pt 9):1813-20.
- MRC-CFAS Neuropathology Group (2001) Pathological correlates of late-onset dementia in a multicentre, community-based population in England and Wales. Neuropathology Group of the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (MRC CFAS). Lancet, 357(9251):169-75.
- Ferguson B, Matyszak M K, Esiri M M, and Perry V H (1997) Axonal damage in acute multiple sclerosis lesions. Brain, 120 ( Pt 3):393-9.
