Prof David Hunt

David Hunt is a Clinician Scientist and honorary consultant neurologist who leads a laboratory and clinic which studies the causes of neuroinflammation. David originally studied neuroscience and medicine at Cambridge University and was awarded his PhD in cellular neuroscience in 2009, subsequently undertaking postdoctoral research at the Institute of Neurology UCL. Since becoming an honorary consultant neurologist in 2013 he was awarded a Wellcome Trust Clinician Scientist fellowship to establish his clinic and research group at the Anne Rowling Clinic and MRC Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh.

David's research group is focussed on trying to identify the molecular pathways which drive inflammation. His team adopts a multidisciplinary approach, using stem cell-based models and genetic models based around neuroinflammatory diseases. His work has identified how innate immune mechanisms such as the type I interferon pathway can drive aspects of brain disease and how this might be targeted in future clinical trials. He has led the development of patient-focussed clinics for the bedside-to-bench study of neuroinflammation, with particular emphasis on 'neglected' inflammatory disease of the brain such as lupus.