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Staff Profile

Professor Bobby McFarland

Professor of Paediatric Mitochondrial Medicine and Hon Consultant Paediatric Neurologist

  • Email: robert.mcfarland@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 2820340
  • Fax: +44 (0) 191 208 8553
  • Personal Website: www.newcastle-mitochondria.com
  • Address: Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research,
    Translational and Clinical Research Institute
    The Medical School
    University of Newcastle
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE2 4HH
Background

Prof McFarland trained in paediatrics and paediatric neurology in London and Newcastle upon Tyne. He began his research career studying the molecular consequences and clinical problems associated with mutations of mitochondrial DNA. Since then his research has included the identification of mitochondrial and nuclear gene defects causing disease in children, factors determining the pathogenicity of mitochondrial DNA mutations and numerous clinical research projects. The latter has specifically involved the development of clinical assessment tools (NMDAS and NPMDS), drug trials and more recently, bringing together a living cohort of ~1500 individuals with confirmed mitochondrial disease.

 

Prof McFarland is leading a study on the outcome of Mitochondrial Donation following the recent parliamentary changes to the law that have permitted this procedure in the UK. Together with Dr Jane Stewart they run the Mitochondrial Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Mito-ART) Clinic at the Newcastle Fertility Centre. Prof McFarland has published over 120 peer reviewed papers in high impact journals. He is currently Professor of Paediatric Mitochondrial Medicine and Action Medical Research Professor of Neuromuscular Disease at the Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research Newcastle University and Honorary Consultant Paediatric Neurologist at the Great North Children’s Hospital.

Research

h-index 53; i10-index 137; Citations 10379; 82 peer reviewed journal publications in the last 5 years

I am a paediatric clinical academic focusing on translational and clinical research. I am CI on the MItoCohort UK study, the largest mitochondrial disease patient cohort in the world (n=1860) and central to the successful Wellcome Centre renewal (2016) and extension (2020). MitoCohort UK has been utilised in 67 studies (26 clinical) and, working with the HSS Mitochondrial Service, has facilitated establishment of the Newcastle MitoBiobank (2019).

I am CI on the Wellcome ‘Mitochondrial Donation’ trial (2018) that enabled this pioneering technique to be offered in Newcastle and secured several million pounds of NHS support costs. The UK remains alone in regulating MD and the HFEA has now issued 23 licences.

I am CI for two upcoming paediatric clinical trials (MoDIS MT-1621-104 and PTC Therapeutics PTC-MIT-001-EP), an intervention study (TRANSFORM) and a natural history study (LION).

I have supervised 15 PhD students (inc. 4 clinical fellows): 11 completed, 4 current.

2022 – 2024 Wellcome Centre Extension (£2.2M, Co-PI)

2020 – 2022 Lily Foundation: TRANScranial direct current Stimulation for FOcal Refractory epilepsy in Mitochondrial disease (£86K, CI)

2020 – 2021 Leigh Syndrome International Consortium: “Leigh syndrome: Investigating Outcome measures & Natural history (LION) Study” (£50K, CI)

2019 – 2022 Lily Foundation PhD Studentship (£86K, Co-PI)

2019 – 2024 Medical Research Council: "International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular Diseases" (£5M Co-PI)

2018 – 2020 Lily Foundation: "Therapeutic strategy for patients with recessive RRM2B" (£150K, Co-PI)

2018 – 2022 Wellcome: Mitochondrial Donation – Neurodevelopmental Outcome at 18 months. (CI £196K)

2018 – 2021 MRC DPFS, “AIMM Clinical Trial” (£1.8M, Co-PI)

2018 – 2021 Ryan Stanford Appeal PhD Studentship (£72K, Co-PI)

2017 – 2022 Wellcome Trust Centre Renewal (£6.4M, Co-PI)

Teaching

I am a clinical and educational supervisor in Paediatrics (ST3) and Paediatric Neurology (ST7) and teach paediatric trainees and medical students.

Between 2009 - 2018, I was Northern Deanery advisor for the British Paediatric Neurology Association. I supervise an AFP fellow (2020) and I am an education and training lead for the MRC International Centre for Genomics and Neuromuscular Disease (2019 -).

Since 2016 I have supervised 7 PhD students (3 completed and 4 current) including 1 clinical fellow. I have also supervised an international Newton Fellow (2019), 3 MRes medical students and have supported our Public Engagement Officer in attaining a Parliamentary Fellowship (2019).


I lecture on two Masters courses and assess on the MBBS course. I have published in educational texts such as Nature Reviews Primers (2016) and Diagnosis and Management of Mitochondrial Disorders (2019).


I have been invited to lecture at many national and international conferences (2016-2019: Tokyo, Rome, Cologne, Kuwait, Sydney, Melbourne, Beijing) and have been at the forefront of Newcastle’s international lead on the development of mitochondrial disease care guidelines [perioperative and anaesthetics (2018), reproductive options (2020), stroke-like episodes (2019), mitotoxicity of drugs (2020) and cardiac (2021)]


I have advised on and edited a storyline for Coronation Street (2020) to improve public understanding of decision-making in life-limiting diseases affecting children and undertaken national (ITN News, 2016), local and social media interviews on Mitochondrial Donation. Since 2014, I have attended and contributed to the educational content, design and media output of ‘Family Weekends’ for the Lily Foundation.

Publications