About
I am a neurologist. I see and treat people with diseases of the nervous system. I run a regular clinic for people with multiple sclerosis.
I am also a University lecturer and academic. My research interests include:
- The impact of systemic infection on the brain, in particular how this affects people with neurological diseases. Systemic infections are the most common cause of hospital admission for people with neurological disease and are associated with poor outcomes. I am the Chief Investigator of the MRC-funded SIBIMS study which is looking at multiple sclerosis in particular.
- Blood-brain barrier (BBB) health, and its measurement for research and clinical use with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, which I set up in Southampton. BBB disruption may explain how systemic infection and inflammation affects brain function. This technique can also help guide treatments for multiple sclerosis, and in the PEBBAL study we are investigating use in Alzheimer's disease. In the upcoming SUNLIGHT study I will be testing if we can use this for people with traumatic brain injury.
- Neurological complications of COVID-19. I co-founded the CoroNerve Studies Group which led the first nationwide surveillance programme for neurological complications of COVID-19.
Research
Research groups
Member of:
Research projects
Completed projects
Researchers:
,
Sponsor: Medical Research Council
Publications
17 publications
Page 1 of 2
Ana Saldanha Ramos,
& Aravinthan Varatharaj
, 2022
, Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health
, 26
Type: article
Charlotte M Stuart,
Aravinthan Varatharaj,
Martin E. Winberg,
Pascale Galea,
Henrik B.W. Larsson,
Stig P. Cramer,
Alessio Fasano,
Zaynah Maherally,
Geoffrey J. Pilkington,
Åsa V Keita,
, 2022
, Clinical and Translational Medicine
, 12 (7) , e965
DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.965
Type: article
Maria Højberg Knudsen,
Ulrich Lindberg,
Jette Lautrup Frederiksen,
Mark Bitsch Vestergaard,
Helle J. Simonsen,
Aravinthan Varatharaj,
Morten Blinkenberg,
Finn Sellebjerg,
Henrik B.W. Larsson,
& Stig P. Cramer
, 2022
, Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
, 63
Type: article
Diarmuid Glavin,
Denise Kelly,
Greta K Wood,
Beth MS Mccausland,
Mark A Ellul,
Aravinthan Varatharaj,
Rhys H Thomas,
Benedict D Michael,
& Brian Gallen
, 2021
, Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases
, 30 (9) , 105915
Type: article
Aravinthan Varatharaj,
Roy O. Weller,
Mary L. Gawne-Cain,
, 2021
, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
, 118 (45)
Type: article
Amy L Ross Russell,
Marc Hardwick,
Athavan Jeyanantham,
Laura M White,
Saumitro Deb,
Girvan Burnside,
Harriet Joy,
Craig J Smith,
Thomas A Pollak,
Timothy R Nicholson,
Nicholas WS Davies,
Hadi Manji,
Ava Easton,
Stephen Ray,
Michael S Zandi,
Jonathan P. Coles,
David K. Menon,
Aravinthan Varatharaj,
Beth Mccausland,
Mark A Ellul,
Naomi Thomas,
Gerome Breen,
Stephen Keddie,
Michael P Lunn,
John PS Burn,
Graziella Quattrocchi,
Luke Dixon,
Claire M Rice,
George Pengas,
Rustam Al-Shahi Salman,
Alan Carson,
Eileen M. Joyce,
Martin R Turner,
Laura A Benjamin,
Tom Solomon,
Rachel Kneen,
Sarah Pett,
Rhys H Thomas,
Benedict D Michael,
, 2021
, Brain Communications
, 3 (3) , fcab168
Type: article
Aravinthan Varatharaj
, 2021
, The Lancet Neurology
, 20 (4) , 263
Type: letterEditorial
Ashwin A. Pinto,
Liam S. Carroll ,
Vijay Nar,
Aravinthan Varatharaj,
, 2020
, Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation
, 7 (5) , 1--4
Type: article
Aravinthan Varatharaj,
Naomi Thomas,
Mark A. Ellul,
Nicholas W.S. Davies,
Thomas A. Pollack,
Elizabeth L Tenorio,
Mustafa Sultan,
Ava Easton,
Gerome Breen,
Michael Zandi,
Jonathan P. Coles,
Hadi Manji,
Rustam Al-Shahi Salman,
David K. Menon,
Timothy R. Nicholson,
Laura A. Benjamin,
Alan Carson,
Craig Smith,
Martin R. Turner,
Tom Solomon,
Rachel Kneen,
Sarah L. Pett,
Rhys H. Thomas,
Benedict D. Michael,
&
, 2020
, Lancet Psychiatry
, 7 (10) , 875--882
Type: article
Charlotte Stuart,
Elina Zotova,
Grielof Koster,
Aravinthan Varatharaj,
Grace Richardson,
Faye Cornick,
Anthony Postle,
, 2020
, The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine
, 5 (1) , 101–113
Type: article
Teaching
I am the Module Lead for Nervous System in BM5 Year 2. Students learn the principles of nervous system structure and function, providing a thorough basis for understanding the diagnosis and treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Other undergraduate roles:
- Admissions interviewing.
- Personal academic tutor.
- Written paper marking and moderation.
- Peer review and project marking for BMedSci.
- Regular clinical teaching in Year 4.
- OSCE examiner for Finals.
Postgraduate roles:
- Ward-based and seminar teaching for junior doctors.
External roles and responsibilities
Name:
Exhibitor at the Southampton Science and Engineering Festival 2019.
Role:
Speaker
Year:
2019
Name:
Systemic inflammation and the blood-brain barrier
Role:
Speaker
Year:
2017
Name:
Covid and the brain: Public talk for Headway
Role:
Speaker
Year:
2023
Name:
Stroke associated with Covid
Role:
Speaker
Year:
2020
Biography
Qualifications:
- PhD Clinical Neurosciences, University of Southampton, 2021.
- MRCP Neurology, Royal College of Physicians, 2018.
- PGCE Medical Education, University of Dundee, 2014.
- BMBCh, University of Oxford, 2010.
- BA(Hons) Medical Sciences, University of Oxford, 2007.