Ian Hart

Neuroimmunology Group, University Department of Neurological Science,
Clinical Sciences Building, Lower Lane, Liverpool L9 7LJ, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)151 529 5715
Fax: +44 (0)151 529 5465

Website: http://www.liv.ac.uk/neuroscience/

Clinical laboratory – address for clinical samples and queries
Buxton Laboratory,
Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery,
Lower Lane, Liverpool L9 7LJ, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)151 529 5577
Fax: +44 (0)151 529 5576

Website: http://www.thewaltoncentre.co.uk/

Biography
Dr. Ian Hart is a Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Neurology and Neuroimmunology at the University Department of Neurological Science, The Walton Centre, Liverpool. Qualifications: PhD, FRCP(G), FRCP.

He trained in Clinical Neurology and Neuroimmunology at Glasgow, London and Oxford. At Liverpool, he runs a specialist clinic for autoimmune neurologic disorders including paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes, myasthenia gravis, peripheral nerve hyperexcitability, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, and autoimmune encephalitis such as Rasmussen’s. He is a founder member of the Walton Centre Clinical Neuroimmunology Group that provides integrated, diagnostic and clinical services for autoantibody-associated neurologic diseases. The laboratory tests around 1000 serum samples each year for various antibodies. His research neuroimmunology group works on autoantibody-associated diseases including peripheral nerve hyperexcitability and paraneoplastic syndromes.

Clinical Neuroimmunology Group
Dr John Broome, MB CHB, MRCP, FRCPath. Consultant Neuropathologist
Mr Miguel Aguirreburalde FIBMS, MSc. Laboratory Manager
Mr Daniel O’Connell, Senior Technician
Mr Neil Moxham, Senior Technician

Clinical services
We offer a service to clinicians for the assay of
• Onconeural antibodies (including Yo, Hu, Ri, CV2, Ma, and amphiphysin) using immunohistochemistry and immunoblot techniques with native and recombinant proteins.
• Acetylcholine receptor antibodies using radioimmunoassay

Research interests
• Peripheral nerve hyperexcitability (neuromyotonia) and the immunopathology of voltage-gated potassium channel antibodies in peripheral and central neurological syndromes
• Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes – clinical and immunological aspects
• Rasmussen’s encephalitis – immunopathogenesis and management by imunomodulation

Selected Publications

Hart, I. K., Maddison, P., Newsom-Davis, J., Vincent, A., Mills, K. R. 2002. Phenotypic
variants of peripheral nerve hyperexcitability. Brain, 125, 1887-1895.
Levite, M., and Hart, I. K. Immunotherapy for epilepsy. 2002. Expert Reviews in
Neurotherapeutics, 2, 89-94.
Kiernan, M. C., Hart, I. K., Bostock, H. 2001. Excitability of motor axons in patients
With spontaneous motor unit activity. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and
Psychiatry, 70, 56-64.
Leach J P, Chadwick D W, Miles J B, Hart I K. 1999. Improvement in adult-onset
Rasmussen's encephalitis with longterm -immunomodulatory therapy.
Neurology, 52, 738-742 .
Hart I K, Waters C, Vincent A, Newland C, Beeson D, Pongs O, Morris C,
Newsom-Davis J. 1997. Autoantibodies detected to expressed potassium channels
are implicated in neuromyotonia. Annals of Neurology, 41, 238-246.