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
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Bernd Taschler
Senior Postdoctoral Researcher
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
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Journal article
Thompson AG. et al, (2022), Brain Communications, 4
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Journal article
Thompson AG. et al, (2021), Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
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Journal article
Thompson AG. et al, (2018), Annals of Neurology, 83, 258 - 268
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Journal article
Thompson AG. et al, (2019), Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 90, 1215 - 1220
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Journal article
Gray E. et al, (2020), Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology
Recent publications
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Journal article
Carroll E. et al, (2025), Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 1 - 18
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Journal article
Dellar ER. et al, (2024), Annals of Neurology
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Journal article
Bampton A. et al, (2024), Brain Behav, 14
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Journal article
Chalitsios CV. et al, (2024), Journal of Neurology
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Journal article
Douglas AGL. et al, (2024), BMJ Neurology Open, 6, e000792 - e000792