The University of Sheffield
Department of Neuroscience

Dr Christopher McDermott (MBChB FRCP PhD)

Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Neurologist

Chris McDermott

University of Sheffield
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health
Department of Neuroscience
Sheffield Institute of Translational Neuroscience
385a Glossop Road
Sheffield
United Kingdom, S10 2HQ

Telephone: 0114 22 22236
Fax: 0114 22 22290
Email:c.j.mcdermott@sheffield.ac.uk

Secretary: Rebecca Brown
Telephone: 0114 22 22261
Email: rebecca.brown@sheffield.ac.uk


Career History

I am interested in studying mechanisms of neurodegeneration in order to develop treatments for patients with motor neuron disease and hereditary spastic paraplegia. My current active projects include:

2006-Present
Clinical Senior Lecturer in Neurology.

2002-2006
Specialist Training in Neurology (CCT), Sheffield

2000-2002
Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellowship (PhD), University of Sheffield.

1998-2000
Clinical Research Fellow, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

1997-1998
Specialist Training in Neurology, Leeds.

1994-1997
General professional training (MRCP), Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

1989-1994
Medicine (MBChB), University of Leeds.

External Commitments:

Member of DeNDRoN MND CSG

Neurology Lead Clinician, STH NHS FT

Invited lectures:

Walton Centre, Liverpool, 2013

Kings College, London, 2013

ENCALS, Sheffield 2013

Euan McDonald MND Centre 2012

Home Mechanical Ventilation Meeting, St Thomas Hospital, London, 2012

Association of British Neurologists, Bournemouth 2010

Familial Spastic Paraplegia Support Group UK 2008

European Neurological Society, Rhodes 2007


Principal Funding Source:


Members of Research Group:

Representative Publications:

The use of non-invasive ventilation at end of life in patients with motor neurone disease: A qualitative exploration of family carer and health professional experiences. Baxter SK, Baird WO, Thompson S, Bianchi SM, Walters SJ, Lee E, Ahmedzai SH, Proctor A, Shaw PJ, McDermott CJ. Palliative Medicine. 2013; In Press.

Lack of unique neuropathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with p.K54E angiogenin (ANG) mutation. Kirby J, Highley JR, Cox L, Goodall EF, Hewitt C, Hartley JA, Hollinger HC, Fox M, Ince PG, McDermott CJ, Shaw PJ. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 2012 Dec 10. doi: 10.1111/nan.12007. [Epub ahead of print]

The natural history of motor neurone disease: assessing the impact of specialist care. Tomi Aridegbe, Ros Kandler, Theresa Walsh, Pamela J Shaw, Christopher J McDermott. Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2013;14:13-19

Concurrence of multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in patients with hexanucleotide repeat expansions of C9ORF72.Ismail A, Cooper-Knock J, Highley JR, Milano A, Kirby J, Goodall E, Lowe J, Scott I, Constantinescu CS, Walters SJ, Price S, McDermott CJ, Sawcer S, CompstonDA, Sharrack B, Shaw PJ. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2013;84:79-87

The initiation of non-invasive ventilation for patients with motor neuron disease: Patient and carer perceptions of obstacles and outcomes. Baxter SK, Baird WO, Thompson S, Bianchi SM, Walters SJ, Lee E, Ahmedzai SH, Proctor A, Shaw PJ, McDermott CJ. Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2012;14:105-110.

Gastrostomy use in motor neurone disease (MND): A review, meta-analysis and survey of current practice. Stavroulakis T, Walsh T, Shaw PJ, McDermott CJ; (on behalf of the Progas Study). Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2012;14:96-104.

Protocol for Diaphragm Pacing in patients with respiratory muscle weakness due to Motor Neurone Disease (DiPALS): a randomised controlled trial [Trial Registration: Current controlled trials ISRCTN53817913]. McDermott C J, Maguire C, Cooper C L, Ackroyd R, Baird W O, Baudouin S, Bentley A, Bianchi S, Bourke S, Bradburn M J, Dixon S, Ealing J, Galloway S, Karat D, Maynard N, Morrison K, Mustfa N, Stradling J, Talbot K, Williams T and Shaw P J. BMC Neurology. 2012;12:74

Using transcutaneous carbon dioxide monitor (TOSCA 500) to detect respiratory failure in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: a validation study. Muhammad K Rafiq, Michael Bradburn, Alison R Proctor, Catherine Billings, Stephen Bianchi, Christopher J McDermott, Pamela J Shaw. Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2012;13:528-532

Respiratory management of motor neurone disease: a review of current practice and new developments. Muhammad Khizar Rafiq, Alison Ruth Proctor, Christopher J McDermott, Pamela J Shaw. Practical Neurology. 2012;12:166-176.

Clinico-pathological features in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with expansions in C9ORF72. Cooper-Knock J, Hewitt C, Highley JR, Brockington A, Milano A, Man S, McDermott CJ, Shaw PJ. Brain. 2012;135:751-764.

Non-invasive ventilation in motor neuron disease: an update of current UK practice. O'Neill CL, Williams TL, Peel ET, McDermott CJ, Shaw PJ, Gibson GJ, Bourke SC. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2012;83:371-376

Al-Chalabi A, Shaw PJ, Young CA, Morrison KE, Murphy C, Thornhill M, . . . Leigh, PN. Protocol for a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial of lithium carbonate in patients with amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (LiCALS) [Eudract number: 2008-006891-31]. BMC Neurology. 2011;11. doi:10.1186/1471-2377-11-111

Evaluation of two different methods for per-oral gastrostomy tube placement in patients with motor neuron disease (MND): PIG versus PEG procedures. Chavada G, El-Nayal A, Lee F, Webber SJ, McAlindon M, Walsh T, Hollinger H, McDermott CJ, Shaw PJ. Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2010;11:531-536.

Validation of the historical adulthood physical activity questionnaire (HAPAQ) against objective measurements of physical activity. Hervé Besson, Ceryl A Harwood, Ulf Ekelund, Francis M Finucane, Christopher J McDermott, Pamela J Shaw, Nicholas J Wareham. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2010;7:54-63.

Novel FUS/TLS Mutations and Pathology in Familial and Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Christopher Hewitt, Janine Kirby, J. Robin Highley, Judith A. Hartley; Rachael Hibberd, Hannah C. Hollinger, Tim L. Williams, Paul G. Ince, Christopher J. McDermott, Pamela J. Shaw. Arch Neurol. 2010;67:455-461.

An evaluation of neurophysiological criteria used in the diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease. C Douglass, R Kandler, PJ Shaw and CJ McDermott. J Neurol Neurosurg Neuropsych 2010;81:646-9.

Broad clinical phenotypes associated with TAR-DNA binding protein (TARDBP) mutations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Kirby, E Goodall W Smith, J R Highley, R Masanzu, JA Hartley, R Hibberd, HC Hollinger, SB Wharton, K Morrison, PG Ince, CJ McDermott and PJ Shaw. Neurology 2009; In press.

Randomised controlled trial of methotrexate for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (RMC trial): a pilot, multicentre study. RMC Trial Group. Lancet Neurol. 2009;8:158-64.

New pedigrees and novel mutation expand the phenotype of REEP1-associated hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). C Hewamadduma, C McDermott, J Kirby, A Grierson, M Panayi, A Dalton, Y Rajabally, P Shaw. Neurogenetics. 2009;10:105-8

Direct evidence for axonal transport defects in a novel mouse model of mutant spastin-induced hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) and human HSP patients. PR Kasher, KJ De Vos, SB Wharton, C Manser, EJ Bennett, M Bingley, JD Wood, R Milner, CJ McDermott, CC Miller, PJ Shaw, AJ Grierson. J Neurochem 2009;110:34-44.

Physical activity as an exogenous risk factor in motor neuron disease (MND): A review of the evidence.CA Harwood, CJ McDermott, PJ Shaw. Amyotroph Lateral Sclerosis 2009;10:191-204

Diagnosis and management of motor neurone disease. CJ McDermott and PJ Shaw. British Medical Journal 336:658-662;2008.

HSP60 is a rare cause of hereditary spastic paraparesis, but may act as a genetic modifier. AA Hewamadduma, J Kirby, C Kershaw, Ann Dalton. CJ McDermott, PJ Shaw. Neurology 2008;170:1717-1718

Linkage to a known gene, but no mutation identified: comprehensive re-analysis of SPG4 HSP pedigrees reveals large deletions as the sole cause. C Beetz, S Zucher, A Ashgley-Koch, M Auer-Grumbach, P Byrne, PF Chinnery, M Hutchinson, CJ McDermott, IA Meyer, AOH Nygren, M Pericak-Vance, A Pyle, GA Rouleau, J Schickel, PJ Shaw, T Deufel Human Mutation 28:739-40,2007.

The microtubule severing protein spastin is required for motor axon outgrowth in the zebrafish embryo.
JD Wood, JA Landers, M Bingley, CJ McDermott, V Thomas McArthur, LJ Gleadall, PJ Shaw, VT Cunliffe. Human Molecular Genetics 15:2763-2771;2006.

Clinical features of hereditary spastic paraparesis due to spastin mutation. CJ McDermott, CE Burness, J Kirby, LE Cox, G Rao, M Durkie, B Sharrack, M Hadjivassiliou, PF Chinnery, A Dalton, PJ Shaw on behalf of the UK and Irish HSP Consortium. Neurology 67:45-51;2006

Hereditary spastic paraplegia. CJ McDermott, PJ Shaw. In : Handbook of Handbook of Clinical Neurology Series 3rd Edition. Motor Neuron Disorders. Elsevier. Editors Andrew Eisen, Pamela J Shaw. Chapter 17:327-352, 2006.

Hereditary spastic paraparesis: evidence of disrupted intracellular transport associated with spastin mutation. CJ McDermott, AJ Grierson, JD Wood, M Bingley, KDM Bushby, PJ Shaw. Ann Neurol 54:748-759;2003.

Investigation of mitochondrial function in hereditary spastic paraparesis. CJ McDermott, RW Taylor, C Hayes, M Johnson, KMD Bushby, DM Turnbull, PJ Shaw. NeuroReport 14:485-488; 2003.

Spastin and paraplegin analysis in selected cases of motor neuron disease with prominent upper motor neuron degeneration. CJ McDermott, D Roberts, J Tomkins, KMD Bushby, PJ Shaw. ALS and related Motor Neuron Disorders 11:1-4;2003.

Hereditary spastic paraparesis. CJ McDermott, PJ Shaw. In: Blue Book of Practical Neurology. Editors PJ Shaw and M Strong. Chapter 18, 2003, pp 435-464. Butterworth Heinemann, Philadelphia.

Hereditary spastic paraparesis.CJ McDermott, PJ Shaw. In: International Review of Neurobiology 53:191-204;2002: Mitochondrial Disorders of the Nervous System Editor A Schapira.
Update on motor neurone disease. CJ McDermott, PJ Shaw. Update 662-667;2002.

Mutation screening of manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). J Tomkins, SJ Banner, CJ McDermott, PJ Shaw. NeuroReport 12:1-4; 2001.

Paraplegin gene analysis in hereditary spastic paraparesis pedigrees in the North East of England. CJ McDermott, RK Dayaratre, J Tomkins, MA Johnson, G Casari, DM Turnbull, KMD Bushby, PJ Shaw. Neurology 56:467-471;2001.

Mutation analysis of the spastin gene in patients with hereditary spastic paraparesis. JC Lindsey, ME Lusher, CJ McDermott, KD White, E Reid, DC Rubinztein, R Bashir, PJ Shaw, KMD Bushby. J Med Genet 37:759-765;2000.

Hereditary spastic paraparesis: a review of new developments. CJ McDermott, KD White, K Bushby, PJ Shaw. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 69:150-160;2000.