Biography

Christopher Kennard is a medical graduate of the University of London, and he obtained a PhD at the MRC's National Institute of Medical Research, London. After training posts in neurology in London and Oxford he was appointed Consultant Neurologist at the Royal London Hospital, subsequently moving to Imperial College London as Professor of Clinical Neurology. At Imperial he was Head of the Division of Clinical Neurosciences and Psychological Medicine and subsequently Deputy Principal of the Faculty of Medicine. In 2008 he moved to the post of Professor of Clinical Neurology in the University of Oxford and Senior Nicholas Kurti Fellow at Brasenose College. In 2010 he became Head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences in the Medical Sciences Division. He was also the medicine Delegate for Oxford University Press.

Among a variety of senior roles he has held are editorship of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry (1997-2003), Chairmanship of the Medical Research Council's Neuroscience and Mental Health Board (2006-2012), Presidency of the Association of British Neurologists (2003-2005) and the European Neuro-ophthalmology Society (2011- 15).

He has published over 200 scientific papers during his career and was awarded the Betty & David Koetser Award for Brain Research, 2015 and the Association of British Neurologists Medal, 2018.

Research Summary

I previously ran a group which researched widely in cognitive neuroscience and visual sciences, particularly using the analysis of abnormalities of visual perception and eye movements in human neurological disease to further understanding of brain function.

My research focused on the cognitive control of movement using saccadic (fast conjugate) eye movements as the exemplar, in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.

We were interested in using saccadic eye movements as a biomarker for the recognition of early neuronal dysfunction in pre-symptomatic patients with the genetic mutation for Huntington's disease and in patients with early Parkinson's disease and motor neurone disease. Since my retirement my former laboratory is led by Associate Professor Chrystalina Antoniades.

Our research on simulating prosthetic vision led us to develop a low-cost non-invasive visual prosthetic for partially sighted and blind individuals, to assist them in navigating their environment, which led to a spin-out company, Oxsight Ltd.

I no longer supervise DPhil students. I am currently the Senior Responsible Owner for the Tinbergen Redevelopment Project in which the Life and Mind Building is being built by the University and Legal and General for the Departments of Biology and Experimental Psychology in the University Science Area.