Professor Robert Mcfarland, MA MBBS PhD MRCP MRCPH
Clinical Senior Lecturer and Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Newcastle University.
I qualified in Medicine in 1993 and trained in paediatrics in London and Newcastle. In 2000 I commenced my PhD on a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Training Fellowship, which was followed up by a MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship. In 2006 I was appointed Honorary Consultant Paediatric Neurologist to the Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust and in 2008 I was awarded a HEFCE/DoH Clinical Senior Lectureship in Paediatric Neurology. I lead the Newcastle Paediatric Mitochondrial Disease Service and together with Dr Jane Stewart and Prof Rob Taylor run the Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis Service for Mitochondrial DNA Disease.
My research aims are to understand the processes that cause Mitochondrial Disease in children, explore the molecular causes of these diseases and the factors that influence disease expression. A related research theme is the natural history of Mitochondrial Disease, an area greatly facilitated by the development of the multi-centre MRC Mitochondrial Disease Patient Cohort Study (UK) on which I have taken a national lead. The Cohort is also proving a valuable resource for recruitment to clinical trials, another area in which I have a keen interest.