Professor Gavin Giovannoni, MBBCh, PhD, FCP (Neurol., SA), FRCP, FRCPath

Profile

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 in November 2006. He did his undergraduate medical training at Wits, where he graduated cum laude in 1987. He moved to the Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, London in 1993 after completing his specialist training in neurology in South Africa. After three years as a clinical research fellow and two years as the Scarfe Lecturer, 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 Queen Square in 1999. He was made a 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. Professor Giovannoni's current research is focused on Epstein Barr virus as a possible cause of multiple sclerosis (MS), MS-related neurodegeneration, MS biomarker discovery, MS clinical outcome measures, MS clinical trials and immune tolerance strategies. He has recently become the co-director of the Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Population Health.

Barts MS Blog

Contact Details:

Stephanie Gardner, for academic queries and matters relating to Prof Giovannoni's diary:
Tel: +44 20 7882 2579, Fax: +44 20 7882 2180, Email: giovannoni.pa@gmail.com

Patricia Williams-Falokun, for NHS queries:
Tel: +44 20 35941195, Fax: +44 207943 1345, Email: patricia.williams-falokun@nhs.net 

David Holden, Neuroimmunology Laboratory Manager, for laboratory related issues and queries in relation to grant budgets:
Tel: +44 20 7882 2327, Email: d.w.holden@qmul.ac.uk 

Teaching

Research

Research Interests:

Gavin Giovannoni's 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, biomarker discovery and validation, and multiple sclerosis clinical outcomes. His team focus on translational research and therefore have an active clinical trial programme.

Publications

Key Publications

Montalban X, Hauser SL, Kappos L, Arnold DL, Bar-Or A, Comi G, de Seze J, Giovannoni G, Hartung HP, Hemmer B, Lublin F, Rammohan KW, Selmaj K, Traboulsee A, Sauter A, Masterman D, Fontoura P, Belachew S, Garren H, Mairon N, Chin P, Wolinsky JS; ORATORIO Clinical Investigators. Ocrelizumab versus Placebo in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2017 Jan 19;376(3):209-220. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1606468. Epub 2016 Dec 21. PubMed PMID: 28002688.

Hauser SL, Bar-Or A, Comi G, Giovannoni G, Hartung HP, Hemmer B, Lublin F, Montalban X, Rammohan KW, Selmaj K, Traboulsee A, Wolinsky JS, Arnold DL, Klingelschmitt G, Masterman D, Fontoura P, Belachew S, Chin P, Mairon N, Garren H, Kappos L; OPERA I and OPERA II Clinical Investigators. Ocrelizumab versus Interferon Beta-1a in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2017 Jan 19;376(3):221-234. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1601277. Epub 2016 Dec 21. PubMed PMID: 28002679.

Chitnis T, Arnold DL, Banwell B, Brück W, Ghezzi A, Giovannoni G, Greenberg B, Krupp L, Rostásy K, Tardieu M, Waubant E, Wolinsky JS, Bar-Or A, Stites T, Chen Y, Putzki N, Merschhemke M, Gärtner J; PARADIGMS Study Group. Trial of Fingolimod versus Interferon Beta-1a in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2018 Sep 13;379(11):1017-1027. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1800149. PubMed PMID: 30207920.

Kappos L, Bar-Or A, Cree BAC, Fox RJ, Giovannoni G, Gold R, Vermersch P, Arnold DL, Arnould S, Scherz T, Wolf C, Wallström E, Dahlke F; EXPAND Clinical Investigators. Siponimod versus placebo in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (EXPAND): a double-blind, randomised, phase 3 study. Lancet. 2018 Mar 31;391(10127):1263-1273. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30475-6. Epub 2018 Mar 23. Erratum in: Lancet. 2018 Nov 17;392(10160):2170. PubMed PMID: 29576505.

Raftopoulos R, Hickman SJ, Toosy A, Sharrack B, Mallik S, Paling D, Altmann DR, Yiannakas MC, Malladi P, Sheridan R, Sarrigiannis PG, Hoggard N, Koltzenburg M, Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott CA, Schmierer K, Giovannoni G, Miller DH, Kapoor R. Phenytoin for neuroprotection in patients with acute optic neuritis: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet Neurol. 2016 Mar;15(3):259-69. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(16)00004-1. Epub 2016 Jan 26. PubMed PMID: 26822749.

All Publications