• Professor - Burton Chair (Institute of Infection Immunity and Inflammation)

telephone: 01412012500
email: Peter.Kennedy@glasgow.ac.uk

My main area of research interest is human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness).  I also have an ongoing involvement in Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) research.

Human African trypanosomiasis
This work reflects a longstanding collaboration, originally with Prof Max Murray's group, at the University Veterinary School on the pathogenesis of Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) also known as sleeping sickness. For the last 22 yrs we have been using a highly reproducible mouse model of HAT which mirrors the neuropathology of the human disease and also the post-reactive treatment encephalopathy (PTRE) which is seen in 10% of patients HAT treated with IV melarsoprol. Our long term goals are to better understand how the brain disease is caused by the infection and to devise more effective treatment for the disease. Our recent work has focussed on the balance of pro- and counter-inflammatory cytokines in generating the neuroinflammatory response in both the mouse model and patients with sleeping sickness, the role IL-10 and CXCL10 in HAT pathogenesis in both mice and patients, small bore magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the blood-brain barrier in HAT, the role of kynurenine pathway metabolites in the neuropathogenesis of HAT, and the recent development of complexed melarsoprol as a promising oral treatment  in late stage HAT.

Current members of trypanosomiasis group are Prof Peter Kennedy (group leader), Dr Jean Rodgers (senior scientist), Dr Paul Montague (senior post-doctoral scientist), Mrs Barbara Bradley (senior animal technician), Dr George Chambers (technician), and Prof Max Murray (senior hon. research fellow and emeritus Professor).

Current funding is from Wellcome Trust (3 grants) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Collaborators  include Dr Jeremy Sternberg (Aberdeen), Prof Trevor Stone (Glasgow), Prof Michael Barrett (Glasgow), Prof Krister Kristensson (Karolinska Institute), Prof Marina Bentivoglio (Verona), Prof Alfred Njamnshi (Cameroon), Prof Christopher Hunter (Pennsylvania), Dr Stephane Gibaud (Lorraine, France).

Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV)
I also maintain a smaller ongoing research interest in VZV research, primarily on VZV gene expression during human ganglionic latency and phenotypic differences between VZV obtained from patients with or without post-herpetic neuralgia.

Funding has been primarily from the Chief Scientist Office and I am also a member of the CVR (Centre for Virus Research).

Collaborators include Dr Eddie Rowan (Strathclyde), Prof Judith Breuer (UCL), and Prof Peter Ghazal (Edinburgh).

• Defining the role of kynurenine pathway metabolites in the inflammatory response to trypanosome invasion of the CNS
  Wellcome Trust
  2012 - 2014
   
• Defining the role of the chemokine CXCL10 in determining traversal across the blood-brain barrier in experimental and human African trypanosomiasis
  Wellcome Trust
  2011 - 2013
   
• Centre for Integrated Virology
  MRC
  2010 - 2015
   
• In vivo imaging models of African trypanosomiasis to support drug discovery programmes.
  Gates Foundation
  2010 - 2012
   
• Phenotypic differences between Varicella Zoster Virus isolates obtained from herpes zoster patients with and without Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
  Scottish Executive Health Department
  2009 - 2010
   
• Clinical Neurosciences Value In People Awards
  Wellcome Trust
  2008 - 2008
   
• Defining the therapeutic role of IL-10 in African trypanosomiasis.
  Wellcome Trust
  2008 - 2011
   
• Combination chemotherapy of human African trypanosomiasis - the potential of drug synergism and the blood-brain barrier
  MRC
  2007 - 2010
   
• Clinical Neurosciences Value In People Awards
  Wellcome Trust
  2006 - 2007
   
• Identifying varicella-zoster virus signature genes on microarray transcriptional analysis which predict the development of post-herpetic neuralgia.
  Scottish Executive Health Department
  2005 - 2009
   
• The role of IL-10 in preventing meningoencephalopathy in late-stage African trypanosomiasis: A delicate balance of inflammatory .........
  Wellcome Trust
  2002 - 2006
   
• Determination by Microarray analysis of Varicella-Zoster Virus gene expression in human ganglionic tissue
  Scottish Executive Health Department
  2002 - 2005
   
• Multiple Sclerosis Society Senior Fellowship in Scotland
  Multiple Sclerosis Society
  2002 - 2009
   
• Neuropathogenesis of Human African Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
  Wellcome Trust
  2001 - 2005
   

Editorial Board

• 2004 - ongoing: Faculty 1000 - Section Head, Neurology-Neurological Infections
• 1997 - 2004: Brain - Member editorial board
• - ongoing: Neurocritical Care - Member editorial board
• - ongoing: Scottish Medical Journal - Member editorial board
• - ongoing: Journal of Neuroparasitology - Member editorial board
• - ongoing: Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology - Member editorial board
• - ongoing: Journal of Neurological Sciences - Associate Editor
• - ongoing: Journal of Neuroimmunology - Member editorial board
• - ongoing: Journal of Neurovirology - Senior Associate Editor

Grant Advisory Board

• 2006 - 2011: Neurosciences Foundation - Chairman of the Neurosciences Foundation Medical Advisory Research Committee
• 2006 - 2007: Foundation for New Innovative Diagnostics - Member of the research grants panel, Geneva
• 2004 - 2004: National Institutes of Health (USA) - Ad hoc Member of Virology Study Section (grant committee)
• 2002 - ongoing: The Encephalitis Society - Member of Professional Advisory Panel
• 1987 - 1997: Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association - Chairman of the Medical Research Advisory Committee
• 1986 - 1998: Multiple Sclerosis Society - Member of the Medical Research Advisory Committee

Invited International Presentations

• 2010: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow - Keynote lecture at Joint meeting of the Royal Medico-Chirurgical Society of Glasgow
• 2010: Temple University, Philadelphia, USA - 8th Annual Matthew T. Moore Keynote speaker, Neurology Conference, Department of Neurology
• 2004: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow - Livingstone Lecture
• 1999: Kings College, London. - Brain Lecture. Academic Neuroscience Centre

Prizes, Awards and Distinctions

• 2010: CBE - Awarded for services to clinical science
• 2010: International Society for Neurovirology - Distinguished Service Award 2010, Awarded by the Board of Directors for Outstanding service and significant contributions to the International Society for NeuroVirology as President
• 2007: Liverpool Neurological Infections Disease Course - Richard T. Johnson State of the Art Prize Lecture
• 1993: National Institutes of Health - Scholar-in-Residence, Fogarty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA (Fogarty medal)
• 1992: Royal College of Physicians (London) - Linacre medal

Professional Learned Society

• 2009 - ongoing: Temple University, Philadelphia USA - Visiting adjunct Professor of Neurology, Dept of Neurology
• 2006 - 2012: Association of British Neurologists - Official representative at the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS)
• 2006 - 2007: Royal Society of Edinburgh - Member of Avian Influenza Working Party
• 2004 - ongoing: Royal Astronomical Society - Fellow
• 2004 - 2010: International Society for Neurovirology - President
• 2004 - 2010: University of Glasgow - Head of the Division of Clinical Neurosciences
• 2000 - 2007: European Federation of Neurological Societies - Chairman of the Scientist Panel on Infections including AIDS
• 1998 - ongoing: Academy of Medical Sciences - Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci)
• 1997 - ongoing: International Society for Neurovirology - Officer for the Board of Directors
• 1996 - ongoing: Royal College of Pathologists - Fellow
• 1995 - 1995: University of Glasgow - MLitt Philosophy
• 1994 - ongoing: Brain - Guarantor
• 1993 - 1993: University of Glasgow - MPhil Philosophy
• 1992 - ongoing: Royal Society of Edinburgh - Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE)
• 1990 - ongoing: Association of Physicians of UK & Ireland - Member
• 1989 - ongoing: American Neurological Association - Corresponding Member
• - ongoing: Association of British Neurologists - Member