Staff Profile

I am a Clinical Senior Lecturer for the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University. I also work as Honorary Consultant Neuropathologist for the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. My areas of expertise include diagnostic neuropathology in general, and age-related neurodegenerative diseases and muscle pathology in particular.

Academic background

I graduated from the Medical School, Helsinki University in 1987 (Licentiate in Medicine), got Specialty in Pathology in 1993, and Specialty in Neuropathology in 2005. The same year I also got my Doctorate in Medical Sciences – all from the Helsinki University. My longstanding interest has been in age-related neurodegenerative diseases, although more recently I have also become interested in muscle pathology. I have been an author of over 70 per-reviewed publications. I have had two succesful PhD students: Dr Minna Oinas (2009, University of Helsinki) and Dr Suvi Hokkanen (2018, University of Cambridge).

• Harris E, Marini-Bettolo C, Topf A, Barresi R, Polvikovski T, Bailey G, Charlton R, Tellez J, MacArthur D, Guglieri M, Lochmuller H, Bushby K, Straub V. MEGF10 related myopathies: A new case with adult onset disease with prominent respiratory failure and review of reported phenotypes. Neuromuscular Disorders 2018, 28(1), 48-53.
• Harris E, Burki U, Marini-Bettolo C, Neri M, Scotton C, Hudson J, Bertoli M, Evangelista T, Vroling B, Polvikoski T, Roberts M, Topf A, Bushby K, McArthur D, Lochmuller H, Ferlini A, Straub V, Barresi R. Complex phenotypes associated with STIM1 mutations in both coiled coil and EF-hand domains. Neuromuscular Disorders 2017, 27(9), 861-872.
• Hokkanen SRK, Hunter S, Polvikoski TM, Keage HAD, Minett T, Matthews FE, Brayne C. Hippocampal sclerosis, hippocampal neuron loss patterns and TDP-43 in the aged population. Brain Pathology 2018, 28(4), 548-559.
• Chen A, Akinyemi RO, Hase Y, Firbank MJ, Ndung'u MN, Foster V, Craggs LJL, Washida K, Okamoto Y, Thomas AJ, Polvikoski TM, Allan LM, Oakley AE, O'Brien JT, Horsburgh K, Ihara M, Kalaria RN. Frontal white matter hyperintensities, clasmatodendrosis and gliovascular abnormalities in ageing and post-stroke dementia. Brain 2016, 139(1), 242-258.
• Willis TA, Wood CL, Hudson J, Polvikoski T, Barresi R, Lochmüller H, Bushby K, Straub V. Muscle hypertrophy as the presenting sign in a patient with a complete FHL1 deletion. Clinical Genetics 2016, 90(2), 166-170.
• Hokkanen S, Kero M, Hunter S, Lilius L, Paetau A, Matthews F, Polvikoski T, Myllykangas L, Graff C, Brayne C. Old-age hippocampal sclerosis associates with GRN and TMEM106B but not with ABCC9 variation in population-based cohorts. In: 117th meeting of the British Neuropathological Society. 2016, London, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Figueroa-Bonaparte S, Hudson J, Barresi R, Polvikoski T, Williams T, Töpf A, Harris E, Hilton-Jones D, Petty R, Willis TA, Longman C, Dougan CF, Parton MJ, Hanna MG, Quinlivan R, Farrugia ME, Guglieri M, Bushby K, Straub V, Lochmüller H, Evangelista T. Mutational spectrum and phenotypic variability of VCP-related neurological disease in the UK. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2016, 87(6), 680-681.
• Hokkanen SRK, Hunter S, Keage HA, Polvikoski TM, Matthews FE, Brayne C. Old-age hippocampal sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease present with similar clinical characteristics: A population-based study. In: 116th Meeting of the British Neuropathological Society. 2015, London, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Evangelista T, Bansagi B, Pyle A, Griffin H, Douroudis K, Polvikoski T, Antoniadi T, Bushby K, Straub V, Chinnery PF, Lochmuller H, Horvath R. Phenotypic variability of TRPV4 related neuropathies. Neuromuscular Disorders 2015, 25(6), 516-521.
• Hunter S, Minett T, Polvikoski T, Mukaetova-Ladinska E, Brayne C. Re-examining tau-immunoreactive pathology in the population: granulovacuolar degeneration and neurofibrillary tangles. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy 2015, 7(1), 57.
• Boczonadi V, Muller JS, Pyle A, Munkley J, Dor T, Quartararo J, Ferrero I, Karcagi V, Giunta M, Polvikoski T, Birchall D, Princzinger A, Cinnamon Y, Lutzkendorf S, Piko H, Reza M, Florez L, Santibanez-Koref M, Griffin H, Schuelke M, Elpeleg O, Kalaydjieva L, Lochmuller H, Elliott DJ, Chinnery PF, Edvardson S, Horvath R. EXOSC8 mutations alter mRNA metabolism and cause hypomyelination with spinal muscular atrophy and cerebellar hypoplasia. Nature Communications 2014, 5, 4287.
• Foster V, Oakley AE, Slade JY, Hall R, Polvikoski TM, Burke M, Thomas AJ, Khundakar A, Allan LM, Kalaria RN. Pyramidal neurons of the prefrontal cortex in post-stroke, vascular and other ageing-related dementias. Brain 2014, 137(9), 2509-2521.
• Gudmundsdottir IJ, Bourantas C, Davison B, Noman A, Polvikoski T, Robinson S, Ahmed J, Freeman Hosp INVEST MI. The impact of thrombus aspiration on luminal expansion: the intra-vascular ultrasound study of thrombectomy in ST elevation myocardial infarction patients. In: European Society of Cardiology Congress. 2014, Barcelona, Spain: Oxford University Press.
• Chaouch A, Brennan KM, Hudson J, Longman C, McConville J, Morrison PJ, Farrugia ME, Petty R, Stewart W, Norwood F, Horvath R, Chinnery PF, Costigan D, Winer J, Polvikoski T, Healy E, Sarkozy A, Evangelista T, Pogoryelova O, Eagle M, Bushby K, Straub V, Lochmuller H. Two recurrent mutations are associated with GNE myopathy in the North of Britain. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 2014, 85(12), 1359-1365.
• Kero M, Paetau A, Polvikoski T, Tanskanen M, Sulkava R, Jansson L, Myllykangas L, Tienari PJ. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) A673T mutation in the elderly Finnish population. Neurobiology of Aging 2013, 34(5), 1518.e1-1518.e3.
• Lax NZ, Gnanapavan S, Dowson SJ, Alston CL, He LP, Polvikoski TM, Jaros E, O'Donovan DG, Yarham JW, Turnbull DM, Dean AF, Taylor RW. Early-Onset Cataracts, Spastic Paraparesis, and Ataxia Caused by a Novel Mitochondrial tRNA(Glu) (MT-TE) Gene Mutation Causing Severe Complex I Deficiency: A Clinical, Molecular, and Neuropathologic Study. Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology 2013, 72(2), 164-175.
• Lee K, Santibanez-Koref M, Polvikoski T, Birchall D, Mendelow AD, Keavney B. Increased expression of fatty acid binding protein 4 and leptin in resident macrophages characterises atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Atherosclerosis 2013, 226(1), 74-81.
• Allan LM, Rowan EN, Thomas AJ, Polvikoski JT, O'Brien JT, Kalaria RN. Long-term incidence of depression and predictors of depressive symptoms in older stroke survivors. British Journal of Psychiatry 2013, n/a, n/a.
• Campbell GR, Reeve A, Ziabreva I, Polvikoski TM, Taylor RW, Reynolds R, Turnbull DM, Mahad DJ. Mitochondrial DNA deletions and depletion within paraspinal muscles. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2013, 39(4), 377-389.
• Hooshmand B, Polvikoski T, Kivipelto M, Tanskanen M, Myllykangas L, Erkinjuntti T, Makela M, Oinas M, Paetau A, Scheltens P, van Straaten ECW, Sulkava R, Solomon A. Plasma homocysteine, Alzheimer and cerebrovascular pathology: a population-based autopsy study. Brain 2013, 136(9), 2707-2716.
• Wagner M, Chaouch A, Muller JS, Polvikoski T, Willis TA, Sarkozy A, Eagle M, Bushby K, Straub V, Lochmuller H. Presymptomatic late-onset Pompe disease identified by the dried blood spot test. Neuromuscular Disorders 2013, 23(1), 89-92.
• Davis DH, Muniz TG, Keage H, Rahkonen T, Oinas M, Matthews FE, Cunningham C, Polvikoski T, Sulkava R, Maclullich AM, Brayne C. Delirium is a strong risk factor for dementia in the oldest-old: a population-based cohort study. Brain 2012, 135(9), 2809-2816.
• Bates T, DuPlessis D, Polvikoski T, Sloan P, McQueen A, Meikle D, Kelly C, Robinson M. Ganglioneuroblastic transformation in olfactory neuroblastoma. Head and Neck Pathology 2012, 6(1), 150-155.
• Gemmell E, Bosomworth H, Allan L, Hall R, Khundakar A, Oakley AE, Deramecourt V, Polvikoski TM, O'Brien JT, Kalaria RN. Hippocampal Neuronal Atrophy and Cognitive Function in Delayed Poststroke and Aging-Related Dementias. Stroke 2012, 43(3), 808-814.
• Tanskanen M, Makela M, Myllykangas L, Notkola IL, Polvikoski T, Sulkava R, Kalimo H, Paetau A. Prevalence and severity of cerebral amyloid angiopathy: a population-based study on very elderly Finns (Vantaa 85+). Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2012, 38(4), 329-336.
• Sarkozy A, Polvikoski T, Eagle M, Lochmuller H, Bushby K, Straub V. Progressive core myopathy with dilated cardiomyopathy, respiratory failure and severe scoliosis caused by a novel mutation in the MYH7 gene. In: 17th International Congress of the World Muscle Society (WMS). 2012, Perth, Australia: Elsevier Ltd.
• Peuralinna T, Tanskanen M, Makeal M, Polvikoski T, Paetau A, Kalimo H, Sulkava R, Hardy J, Lai SL, Arepalli S, Hernandez D, Traynor BJ, Singleton A, Tienari PJ, Myllykangas L. APOE and AβPP Gene Variation in Cortical and Cerebrovascular Amyloid-β Pathology and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Population-Based Analysis. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2011, 26(2), 377-385.
• Allan LM, Rowan EN, Firbank MJ, Thomas AJ, Parry SW, Polvikoski TM, O'Brien JT, Kalaria RN. Long term incidence of dementia, predictors of mortality and pathological diagnosis in older stroke survivors. Brain 2011, 134(12), 3716-3727.
• Wilson BT, Douglas SF, Polvikoski T. Astrocytoma in a Breast Cancer Lineage: Part of the BRCA2 Phenotype?. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2010, 28(30), E596-E598.
• Mäkitie L, Kanerva K, Polvikoski T, Paetau A, Andersson L. Brain neurons express ornithine decarboxylase-activating antizyme inhibitor 2 with accumulation in Alzheimer's disease. Brain Pathology 2010, 20(3), 571-580.
• Ahtiluoto S, Polvikoski T, Peltonen M, Solomon A, Tuomilehto J, Winblad B, Sulkava R, Kivipelto M. Diabetes, Alzheimer disease, and vascular dementia: A population-based neuropathologic study. Neurology 2010, 75(13), 1195-1202.
• Oinas M, Paetau A, Myllykangas L, Notkola I, Kalimo H, Polvikoski T. α-Synuclein pathology in the spinal cord autonomic nuclei associates with α-synuclein pathology in the brain: a population-based Vantaa 85+ study. Acta Neuropathologica 2010, 119(6), 715-722.
• Kalaria RN, Kenny RA, Ballard CG, Perry R, Ince P, Polvikoski T. Towards defining the neuropathological substrates of vascular dementia. In: 1st Congress of the International Society for Vascular Behavioural and Cognitive Disorders (VAS-COG 2003). 2004, Goteborg, Sweden: Journal of the Neurological Sciences: Elsevier.
• Myllykangas L, Polvikoski T, Reunanen K, Wavrant-de Vrieze F, Ellis C, Hernandez D, Sulkava R, Kontula K, Verkkoniemi A, Notkola I-L, Hardy J, Pérez-Tur J, Haltia M, Tienari PJ. ApoE ε3-Haplotype Modulates Alzheimer's Beta-Amyloid Deposition in the Brain. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics 2002, 114(3), 288-291.
• Myllykangas L, Polvikoski T, Sulkava R, Notkola I-L, Rastas S, Verkkoniemi A, Tienari PJ, Niinistö L, Hardy J, Pérez-Tur J, Kontula K, Haltia M. Association of lipoprotein lipase Ser447Ter polymorphism with brain infarction: a population-based neuropathological study. Annals of Medicine 2001, 33(7), 486-492.
• Polvikoski T, Sulkava R, Myllykangas L, Notkola IL, Niinisto L, Verkkoniemi A, Kainulainen K, Kontula K, Pérez-Tur J, Hardy J, Haltia M. Prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in very elderly people: a prospective neuropathological study. Neurology 2001, 56(12), 1690-1696.