Professor Hugh Markus

Using genetic and imaging techniques to understand the pathogenesis of ischaemic stroke

I use molecular genetic and neuroimaging (MRI and Transcranial Doppler) techniques to investigate the pathogenesis of, and develop treatments for, cerebrovascular disease.

A particular interest is in cerebral small vessel disease, a major cause of stroke and the major cause of vascular cognitive impairment; here we are studying genetic determinants (for both monogenic and polygenic disease), the mechanisms of cognitive decline using advanced multimodal MRI, and evaluating new therapeutic approaches. Our imaging projects involve the application of MRI and PET to look at blood brain barrier leakage and glial activation (neuroinflammation in man, and the use of diffusion tensor MRI to determine how vascular damage leads to white matter damage and cognitive impairment.

I am involved in a number of international studies of stroke genetics including the WTCCC2 ischaemic stroke study which we led, METASTROKE which we established and MEGASTROKE all as part of the  the International Stroke Genetics Consortium. I run a National clinical referral service for patients with the monogenic from of stroke CADASIL.