Professor Hugh Markus

I was appointed in 2013 as Professor of Stroke Medicine at the University of Cambridge and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at Cambridge University Hospitals Trust. I was an undergraduate at Cambridge and Oxford Universities before training in Medicine and Neurology in Oxford, Nottingham, and London. Before my current appointment, I was Professor of Neurology and Head of the Stroke and Dementia Research Institute at St George’s University of London.  

I am an academic medic and divide my time 50:50 between caring for stroke patients and research and teaching. I run a National NHS clinic for familial causes of stroke, particularly CADASIL. My research interests are primarily in cerebral small vessel disease, a major cause of stroke and dementia. I apply genetic and imaging techniques to understand its causes and develop new treatment approaches. 

I am Editor-in Chief of the International Stroke Journal, on the executive of the World Stroke Organisation (WSO), and co-director of the WSO Future leaders programme. 

Project/study information 

Our group comprises a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, bioinformaticians, image analysts, statisticians, and study coordinators, all trying to better understand and better treat cerebral small vessel disease. Current projects include: 

DNA lacunar 2 : This large UK wide prospective study identifies patients with lacunar stroke and follows them up to determine what predicts dementia. In our prediction models we include clinical features,  imaging markers, genomics, metabolomics and proteomics. 

IN-SVD. Funded by a British Heart Foundation grant, and in collaboration with cardiovascular immunology in Cambridge and  the Radboud University in Nijmegen Netherlands, we are investigating the role of both neuroinflammation and systemic immune reprogramming in cerebral small vessel disease. Using both PET brain imaging and detailed immunophenotyping of the blood, we are hoping to identify inflammatory targets we treat to reduce disease progression and cognitive impairment.  

CADASIL. We have a unique cohort of patients with CADASIL and are currently investigating what modifies the phenotype, including genetic modifiers. 

Genetics of small vessel disease. We are leading a genome wide study of MRI confirmed lacunar stroke, and combined with GWAS data from MRI markers of small vessel disease, sue this information to identify new treatment approaches, using techniques such as drug target Mendelian Randomisation.

Recruitment of PhD / Post doctoral students 

I recruit PhDs, but not MPhils, to the Clinical Neurosciences PhD programme.  

https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/cvcnpdpcn 

Possible projects can be seen on the programme websites although alternative projects can be discussed. All projects are researching cerebral small vessel disease and vascular dementia. Projects  involve applying imaging (MRI, PET), genetic and other ‘omic techniques, or new treatment approaches to the disease.