POSTDOCTORAL POSITION COMING SOON
Informal enquiries welcome: we are soon to advertise a 3-5 year MRC-funded postdoctoral role to work on B cell isolation and sequencing protocols. Bioinformatics expertise essential. Please email Sarosh Irani if you are interested.
Contact information
Sarosh Irani
MRC Senior Clinical Fellow | Honorary Consultant Neurologist
- Head, Oxford Autoimmune Neurology Group
- Co-director Autoimmune Neurology Diagnostic laboratory
- Associate Editor, Brain
- Senior Fellow, Oxford BRC
Autoantibody-mediated neurological diseases
Research Summary
I am a consultant neurologist and clinician-scientist with clinical and laboratory experiences in the field of autoantibody mediated diseases of the nervous system, in particular the central nervous system. I care for patients with these disorders and run a research group to learn more about the origins and treatments of these diseases. I welcome referrals of patients with possible autoimmune neurological conditions.
I have studied the antigenic targets of autoantibodies in patients with encephalitis and epilepsies. In particular, my research has focused on LGI1, CASPR2 and the NMDA-receptor. In addition, I have been involved with projects examining autoantibodies against the GABAA-receptor, glycine receptors and aquaporin-4.
Along with colleagues, I have looked after and met multiple patients with these disorders, phenotypes >150 patients in great detail, and characterised their clinical responses to therapies. These findings have generated, often distinctive, clinical features which correlate well with a high likelihood of an immunotherapy-responsive condition. They have also identified novel clinical descriptions of patients with cognitive, movement and seizure disorders, in particular faciobrachial dystonic seizures - a novel autoimmune epilepsy syndrome which often responds better to immunotherapies than conventional anti-epileptic drugs.
I run a research group combining ~15 talented clinicians, clinician-scientists and basic scientists with the aim of better understanding the causes and potential treatments of this condition. In particular, we study the role of B cell subsets in propagating autoantibody responses. We are funded by the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, British Medical Association, Association of British Neurologists and industry partners.
Key publications
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Journal article
Ramberger M. et al, (2020), Brain, 143, 1731 - 1745
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Journal article
Sun B. et al, (2020), Nat Rev Neurol
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Journal article
Varley JA. et al, (2020), Ann Neurol
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Journal article
Binks S. et al, (2018), Brain, 141, 2263 - 2271
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Journal article
Wilson R. et al, (2018), Brain, 141, 1063 - 1074
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Journal article
Makuch M. et al, (2018), Ann Neurol, 83, 553 - 561
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Journal article
Thompson J. et al, (2018), Brain, 141, 348 - 356