Contact information
Research groups
Collaborators
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Martin Turner
Professor of Clinical Neurology & Neuroscience
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Kevin Talbot
Head of Department and Professor of Motor Neuron Biology
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Elizabeth Gray
Senior Clinical Project Manager
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Michele Hu
Professor of Clinical Neuroscience and Consultant Neurologist
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Laura Parkkinen
Professor of Translational Neuropathology
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Olaf Ansorge
Associate Professor
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Stephen Smith
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Alexander G Thompson
DPhil BMBCh BA MRCP
Associate Professor
- MRC Clinician Scientist
- MNDA Lady Edith Wolfson Fellow
- Honorary Consultant Neurologist, Oxford MND Centre
Research summary
My research focuses on the development of neurochemical markers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease without effective treatment; around 10% of ALS cases are caused by single gene mutations. Trials of targeted gene therapies for the major ALS genes is ongoing in ALS patients. My research aims to identify markers of cellular dysfunction in asymptomatic carriers of ALS gene mutations to enable earlier treatment with targeted gene therapies. My work also aims to develop markers that will accelerate the development of effective treatment for ALS through accurate measures of disease activity and patient stratification.
My work primarily uses proteomic analysis of whole cerebrospinal fluid and extracellular vesicles (exosomes and microvesicles) extracted from cererbrospinal fluid, in collaboration with the Target Discovery Institute.
I also work as a consultant neurologist in the Oxford MND Centre and in general neurology at Oxford University Hospitals NHS foundation trust.
My work is funded by the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Medical Research Council.
Key publications
Neurodegenerative disease in C9orf72 repeat expansion carriers: population risk and effect of UNC13A
Journal article
Gao J. et al, (2025), Brain, 148, 3865 - 3871
Elevated Cerebrospinal Fluid Ubiquitin Carboxyl‐Terminal Hydrolase Isozyme L1 in Asymptomatic C9orf72 Hexanucleotide Repeat Expansion Carriers
Journal article
Dellar ER. et al, (2025), Annals of Neurology, 97, 449 - 459
Multicentre appraisal of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis biofluid biomarkers shows primacy of blood neurofilament light chain
Journal article
Thompson AG. et al, (2022), Brain Communications, 4
Higher blood high density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein A1 levels are associated with reduced risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Journal article
Thompson AG. et al, (2022), Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 93, 75 - 81
CSF chitinases before and after symptom onset in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Journal article
Gray E. et al, (2020), Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, 7, 1296 - 1306
Cerebrospinal fluid macrophage biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Journal article
Thompson AG. et al, (2018), Annals of Neurology, 83, 258 - 268
Recent publications
Tetraspanin-based immunocapture for high-depth proteomic profiling of extracellular vesicles from cerebrospinal fluid for biomarker discovery
Journal article
Dellar ER. et al, (2026), Clinical Proteomics, 23
Divergence of cortical neurophysiology across different neurodegenerative disorders compared to healthy ageing
Journal article
Trubshaw M. et al, (2026), Progress in Neurobiology, 257, 102865 - 102865
Neurodegenerative disease in C9orf72 repeat expansion carriers: population risk and effect of UNC13A
Journal article
Gao J. et al, (2025), Brain, 148, 3865 - 3871
myotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia Have Distinct Prediagnostic Blood Biochemical Profiles
Journal article
Chalitsios CV. et al, (2025), Annals of Neurology
Unpacking the relationship between exercise and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Journal article
Talbot K. and Thompson AG., (2025), Brain, 148, 3431 - 3432