Dr Robin Grant

Consultant Neurologist & Hon Senior Lecturer

Biography

Background

  • Consultant Neurologist in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh
  • Trained in Neuro-Oncology in University of Michigan Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 1999-2000
  • Established the Edinburgh Centre for Neuro-Oncology in 2003
  • Clinical research interest lie in symptoms research (tumour associated epilepsy, cognition, mood and fatigue) and quality of life in neuro-oncology and evidence based medicine
  • Advised on the evidence tumour associated epilepsy section of the EFNS:EANO low grade glioma guidelines
  • President of the European Association for Neuro-Oncology (2008-10)
  • Established and coordinating editor of Cochrane Neuro-Oncology Group
  • Advised on many Neuro-Oncological clinical, research and regulatory committees in UK and Europe

Research summary

Brain and spinal cord tumour clinical research is also about international collaboration and friendship with colleagues in other countries working in the same clinical research and clinical trials areas.

Recent multi-centre clinical trials using bevacizumab (Gilbert et al 2014 and Chinot et al 2014) were only possible through collaboration and use of agreed imaging measures (Macdonald Criteria), important symptomatic and Quality of Life measures and systematic evaluation of outcomes.

Current research interests

Management of symptoms of primary brain tumour and the side effects of treatment are of major importance to patients, with the most common complaints in the clinic being fatigue, cognitive problems (especially poor memory), mood related issues, fear of the tumour coming back and seizures. Drugs used to treat these symptoms may interfere positively (help) or negatively (hinder) with the ability of chemotherapies and other treatments to be effective at treating the tumour. These important drug-drug interactions are the focus of Dr Grant’s clinical research along with evidence based evaluation of therapies.

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