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Staff Profile

Professor Andrew Cant

Hon Clin Prof Paediatric Immunology

  • Email: a.j.cant@ncl.ac.uk
  • Fax: 0191 2820497
  • Address: Clinical Resource Building
    Level 4 Block 2
    Royal Victoria Infirmary
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE1 4LP
Background
I trained in internal medicine, infectious diseases and paediatrics in London, holding a MRC Fellowship before completing training in paediatric immunology and infectious diseases at Great Ormond Street Hospital and in Paris.

A Consultant in Newcastle since 1990, I set up one of two national referral centres for the treatment of children with severe immunological disorders and I am a world leader in the field of childhood infection, immune disorders, and bone marrow transplantation, also holding clinics in Leeds, Scotland and Ireland. My research in these areas has secured over £7 million in grants, and over 150 scientific papers. I am a past President of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases and President Elect of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies. Despite being a very busy full-time NHS clinician, I was awarded a Personal Chair in 2004 for outstanding research arising from a highly regarded clinical service.  I teach at postgraduate events worldwide. 

My special interests include severe and unusual infection, tuberculosis, immunodeficiency, auto-immunity and allergy. I am a Trustee of the Bubble Foundation UK , a local charity that has raised over £3 million since 1994 to support the Children's Bone Marrow Transplant Unit’s work and research; successfully pump priming research posts that now have university or NIHR funding.

At national level, I am a key government advisor for the development of general and specialist paediatric services and training. I was the leader of the national review of paediatric specialist services for the UK in 2007, the head of the national training committee for paediatric infectious diseases, immunology and allergy, and I am now a member of the reviewer board of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

I am an eminent advocate for primary immunodeficiency internationally, now heading the European Society for Immunodeficiency (ESID) as president after I contributed to the organization for many years in different roles, including chairing the education and BMT working parties. I am also a member of the medical advisory board for the International Patient Organization for Primary Immunodeficiency (IPOPI), and also served as president of the European Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID) previously. I consider myself a strong proponent for primary immunodeficiency awareness and I have contributed to the development of services in many countries, most notably Jordan, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.

Research
My research interests focus on improving the diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency, improving BMT conditioning regimens, but also infectious diseases and allergy topics, amounting to >150 peer reviewed publications and numerous book chapters.
Publications