Professor Paul Edison

Professor of neuroscience and consultant physician

Primary medical qualifications:

MBBS MPhil PhD FRCPI FRCP

GMC number:

4707404

Memory and cognition

General medicine

Emergency medicine

Paul Edison

Background

Professor Paul Edison is the professor of neuroscience in the department of brain sciences / Faculty of medicine at Imperial College London. He is also a consultant physician at Hammersmith Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital and St Mary's Hospital.

His research has focused on neuroimaging with novel molecular probes, using PET and magnetic resonance techniques for imaging pathophysiological changes associated with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Professor Edison has extensive experience in PET imaging in different neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory conditions. Combined with his clinical expertise in different types of degenerative diseases and dementia, he has investigated the relationship between amyloid deposition, microglial activation, and glucose metabolism in different disorders, along with evaluating different transporters in the brain. His work in assessing microglial activation and amyloid load showed that both these are increased in Alzheimer's disease, and microglial activation correlates with cognition, while amyloid load does not correlate with cognition. He was a Medical Research Council clinical research fellow before he became a Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) clinical senior lecturer.

His work now focuses on neuroinflammation, and the interplay between inflammation and immunity in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disease, and relating these with genetic information. He is also evaluating the methods of modulating inflammation and amyloid in Alzheimer's disease, and the influence of cardiometabolic factors on the development of neurodegenerative diseases by means of clinical and pre-clinical studies. Professor Edison leads the Imperial College Memory Research Centre, and is the chief investigator of several imaging studies using PET and MRI. He heads multicentre studies evaluating novel treatment of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. He also runs a memory clinic at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Expertise

Memory and cognitive impairment, dementia, general medicine

Research & publications

Professor Edison leads the Imperial College Memory Research Centre, where he focuses his research on Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and causes of dementia and cognitive impairment. The centre evaluates neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration using PET, MRI and CSF markers. It is now evaluating the relationship between neuroinflammation, tau, glucose metabolism, and structural and functional changes measured by MRI. It heavily focuses on basic and translational imaging using PET and MRI. It is evaluating novel therapeutic targets in dementia and cognitive impairment in phase 1 and phase 2/3 studies. It is evaluating novel microglial agents in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

Additionally the unit uses state-of-the-art techniques in PET and MRI in clinical evaluation of people with memory problems. It has several research studies in the field of Alzheimer's disease and mild memory impairment. One of which is the liraglutide in treatment of alzheimer's disease (ELAD) study.

Publications

Dani M, Brooks DJ, Edison P (2017) Suspected non-Alzheimer's pathology - is it non-Alzheimer's or non-amyloid? Ageing Res Rev. Jul;36:20-31. Epub 2017 Feb 21. Review. 

Fan Z, Brooks DJ, Okello A, Edison P (2017) An early and late peak in microglial activation in Alzheimer's disease trajectory. Brain. Mar 1;140(3):792–803.

Femminella GD, Bencivenga L, Petraglia L, Visaggi L, Gioia L, Grieco FV, de Lucia C, Komici K, Corbi G, Edison P, Rengo G, Ferrara N. (2017) Antidiabetic drugs in Alzheimer's disease: mechanisms of action and future perspectives. J Diabetes Res. 7420796. Epub 2017 Jun 1. Review.

Parbo P, Ismail R, Hansen KV, Amidi A, Mårup FH, Gottrup H, Brændgaard H, Eriksson BO, Eskildsen SF, Lund TE, Tietze A, Edison P, Pavese N, Stokholm MG, Borghammer P, Hinz R, Aanerud J, Brooks DJ (2017) Brain inflammation accompanies amyloid in the majority of mild cognitive impairment cases due to Alzheimer's disease. Brain. Jul 1;140(7):2002–11.

Fan Z, Calsolaro V, Atkinson RA, Femminella GD, Waldman A, Buckley C, Trigg W, Brooks DJ, Hinz R, Edison  P (2016) Flutriciclamide (18F-GE180) PET: First-in-human PET study of novel third-generation in vivo marker of human translocator protein. J Nucl Med. Nov;57(11):1753–9.

Calsolaro V, Edison P (2016) Alterations in Glucose Metabolism in Alzheimer's Disease. Recent Pat Endocr Metab Immune Drug Discov.;10(1):31–39. Review.

Calsolaro V, Edison P. (2016) Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease: current evidence and future directions: Alzheimers Dement. Jun;12(6):719–32. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.02.010. 

Dani M, Brooks DJ, Edison P. (2016) Tau imaging in neurodegenerative diseases. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. Jun;43(6):1139–50. doi: 10.1007/s00259-015-3231-2. Epub 2015 Nov 16. 

Femminella GD, Ninan S, Atkinson R, Fan Z, Brooks DJ, Edison P. (2016) Does microglial activation influence hippocampal volume and neuronal function in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease dementia? J Alzheimer’s Dis. 51(4):1275–89. doi: 10.3233/JAD-150827.

Scott G, Ramlackhansingh AF, Edison P, Hellyer P, Cole J, Veronese M, Leech R, Greenwood RJ, Turkheimer FE, Gentleman SM, Heckemann RA, Matthews PM, Brooks DJ, Sharp DJ (2016) Amyloid pathology and axonal injury after brain trauma. Neurology. Mar 1;86(9):821–8. 

Calsolaro V, Edison P (2016) Alterations in glucose metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease: Recent Pat Endocr Metab Immune Drug Discov. 10(1):31–9.

Fan Z, Okello AA, Brooks DJ, Edison P (2015) Longitudinal influence of microglial activation and amyloid on neuronal function in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain. Dec; 138(Pt 12):3685–98.

Calsolaro V, Edison P (2015) Novel GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) Analogues and insulin in the treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. CNS Drugs. Dec;29(12):1023–39

Dani M, Edison P, Brooks DJ (2016) Imaging biomarkers in tauopathies. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. Jan;22 Suppl 1:S26-8. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2015.08.011.

Fan Z, Aman Y, Ahmed I, Chetelat G, Landeau B, Chaudhuri KR, Brooks DJ, Edison P (2015) Influence of microglial activation on neuronal function in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease dementia. Alzheimers Dement. Jun;11(6):608–2.

Fan Z, Harold D, Pasqualetti G, Williams J, Brooks DJ, Edison P (2015) Can studies of neuroinflammation in a TSPO genetic subgroup (HAB or MAB) be applied to the entire AD cohort?  J Nucl Med. May;56(5):707–13.

Femminella GD, Kenny LM, Sinha A, Amlani S, Edison P (2015) Lesson of the Month: carcinoid-associated encephalopathy. J Clin Gastroenterol. Apr;49(4):353–4. 

Pasqualetti G, Brooks DJ, Edison P (2015) The role of neuroinflammation in dementias. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. Apr;15(4):531.

Ashraf A, Fan Z, Brooks DJ, Edison P (2015) Cortical hypermetabolism in MCI subjects: a compensatory mechanism? Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. Mar;42(3):447–58.

Varley J, Brooks DJ, Edison P (2014) Imaging neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's and other dementias: recent advances and future directions. Alzheimers Dement. Epub Nov 15

Femminella GD, Edison P (2014) Evaluation of neuroprotective effect of glucagon-like peptide 1 analogs using neuroimaging. Alzheimers Dement. Feb;10(1S):S55–S61

Matthews PM, Edison P, Geraghty OC, Johnson MR (2014) The emerging agenda of stratified medicine in neurology. Nat Rev Neurol. Jan;10(1):15–26. Epub 2013 Dec 10

Ikoma Y, Edison P, Ramlackhansingh A, Brooks DJ, Turkheimer FE (2013) Reference region automatic extraction in dynamic [11C]PIB. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. Aug 7. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23921900

Edison P; Ahmed I; Fan Z; Hinnz R; Gelosa G; Chaudhuri KR; Walker Z; Turkheimer FE; Brooks DJ (2013) Microglia, amyloid, and glucose metabolism in Parkinson’s disease with and without dementia. Neuropsychopharmacology. May;38(6):938–49. Epub 2012 Dec 6. PMID: 23303049

Edison P; Carter SF; Rinne JO; Gelosa G; Herholz K; Nordberg A; Brooks DJ; Hinz R (2013) Comparison of MRI based and PET template based approaches in the quantitative analysis of amyloid imaging with PIB-PET. Neuroimage. Apr 15;70:423–33. Epub 2012 Dec 20. PMID: 23261639

Edison P, Fan Z, Aman Y, Brooks DJ. Influence of neuroinflammation on neuronal function in neurodegenerative diseases: An 11C-®-PK11195 and 18F-FDG PET study: Neurology:  Volume: 80 Supplement: S   Meeting Abstract: IN91001

Nordberg A, Carter SF, Rinne J, Drzezga A, Brooks DJ, Vandenberghe R, Perani D, Forsberg A, Langstrom B, Scheinin N, Karrasch M, Nagren K, Grimmer T, Miederer I, Edison P, Okello A, Van Laere K, Nelissen N, Vandenbulcke M, Garibotto V, Almkvist O, Kalbe E, Hinz R, Herholz K (2013) A European multicentre PET study of fibrillar amyloid in Alzheimer's disease. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. Jan;40(1):104–14. Epub 2012 Sep 8. PMID: 22961445

Corbett A, Pickett J, Burns A, Corcoran J, Dunnett SB, Edison P, Hagan JJ, Holmes C, Jones E, Katona C, Kearns I, Kehoe P, Mudher A, Passmore A, Shepherd N, Walsh F, Ballard C. (2012) Drug repositioning for Alzheimer's disease. Nat Rev Drug Discov. Nov;11(11):833–46. PMID: 23123941

Edison P, Hinz R, Ramlackhansingh A, Thomas J, Gelosa G, Archer HA, Turkheimer FE, Brooks DJ (2012) Can target-to-pons ratio be used as a reliable method for the analysis of [11C]PIB brain scans? NeuroImage. Apr 15;60(3):1716–23.

Hyare H, Ramlackhansingh A, Gelosa G, Edison P, Rudge P, Brandner S, Brooks DJ, Collinge J, Mead S. (2012) 11CPiB PET does not detect PrP-amyloid in prion disease patients including variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. Mar;83(3):340–1. Epub 2011 Apr 8. PMID: 21478204

McMurdo ME, Roberts H, Parker S, Wyatt N, May H, Goodman C, Jackson S, Gladman J, O'Mahony S, Ali K, Dickinson E, Edison P, Dyer C; Age and Ageing Specialty Group, NIHR, Comprehensive Clinical Research Network (2011) Improving recruitment of older people to research through good practice. Age Ageing. Nov;40(6):659–65. Epub 2011 Sep 11. PMID: 21911335

Edison P, Hinz R, Brooks DJ. (2011) Technical aspects of amyloid imaging for Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Res Ther. Aug 31;3(4):25. PMID: 21888692
Knight WD, Okello AA, Ryan NS, Turkheimer FE, Rodríguez Martinez de Llano S, Edison P, Douglas J, Fox NC, Brooks DJ, Rossor MN. (2011) Carbon-11-Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography imaging of amyloid deposition in presenilin 1 mutation carriers. Brain. Jan;134(Pt 1):293–300. Epub 2010 Nov 16. PMID:21084313

De Llano SRM, Okello A,  Edison P, Koivunen J (2010) Patterns of Amyloid Deposition in Individual Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: An C-11-PIB PET Study: Neurology.  Vol.74(9), p.A336-A337:

Rodda J, Okello A, Edison P, Dannhauser T, Brooks DJ, Walker Z (2010) (11)C-PIB PET in subjective cognitive impairment. Eur Psychiatry. Mar;25(2):123–5. Epub 2009 Nov 18. PMID: 19926266

Edison P, Brooks DJ, Turkheimer FE, Archer HA, Hinz R (2009) Strategies for the generation of parametric images of [11C]PIB with plasma input functions considering discriminations and reproducibility. Neuroimage. Nov 1;48(2):329–38. Epub 2009 Jul 8. PMID: 19591948

Okello A, Koivunen J, Edison P, Archer HA, Turkheimer FE, Någren K, Bullock R, Walker Z, Kennedy A, Fox NC, Rossor MN, Rinne JO, Brooks DJ (2009) Conversion of amyloid positive and negative MCI to AD over 3 years: an 11CPIB PET study. Neurology. Sep 8;73(10):754–60. Epub 2009 Jul 8. PMID: 19587325

Okello A, Edison P, Archer HA, Turkheimer FE, Kennedy J, Bullock R, Walker Z, Kennedy A, Fox N, Rossor M, Brooks DJ (2009) Microglial activation and amyloid deposition in mild cognitive impairment: a PET study. Neurology. Jan 6;72(1):56–62. PMID: 19122031

Edison P, Archer HA, Gerhard A, Hinz R, Pavese N, Turkheimer FE, Hammers A, Tai YF, Fox N, Kennedy A, Rossor M, Brooks DJ (2008) Microglia, amyloid, and cognition in Alzheimer's disease: An [11C](R)PK11195-PET and [11C]PIB-PET study. Neurobiol Dis. Dec;32(3):412–9. Epub 2008 Aug 15. PMID: 18786637

Edison P, Rowe CC, Rinne JO, Ng S, Ahmed I, Kemppainen N, Villemagne VL, O'Keefe G, Någren K, Chaudhury KR, Masters CL, Brooks DJ (2008) Amyloid load in Parkinson's disease dementia and Lewy body dementia measured with [11C]PIB positron emission tomography. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. Dec;79(12):1331–8. Epub 2008 Jul 24. PMID: 18653550

Tomasi G, Edison P, Bertoldo A, Roncaroli F, Singh P, Gerhard A, Cobelli C, Brooks DJ, Turkheimer FE (2008) Novel reference region model reveals increased microglial and reduced vascular binding of 11C-(R)-PK11195 in patients with Alzheimer's disease. J Nucl Med. Aug;49(8):1249–56. Epub 2008 Jul 16. PMID: 18632810

Anderson AN, Pavese N, Edison P, Tai YF, Hammers A, Gerhard A, Brooks DJ, Turkheimer FE (2007) A systematic comparison of kinetic modelling methods generating parametric maps for [(11)C]-(R)-PK11195. Neuroimage. May 15;36(1):28–37. Epub 2007 Feb 21. PMID: 17398120

Edison P, Archer HA, Hinz R, Hammers A, Pavese N, Tai YF, Hotton G, Cutler D, Fox N, Kennedy A, Rossor M, Brooks DJ (2007) Amyloid, hypometabolism, and cognition in Alzheimer disease: an [11C]PIB and [18F]FDG PET study. Neurology. Feb 13;68(7):501–8. Epub 2006 Oct 25. PMID: 17065593

Turkheimer FE, Edison P, Pavese N, Roncaroli F, Anderson AN, Hammers A, Gerhard A, Hinz R, Tai YF, Brooks DJ (2007) Reference and target region modeling of [11C]-(R)-PK11195 brain studies. J Nucl Med. Jan;48(1):158–67. PMID: 17204713

Archer HA, Edison P, Brooks DJ, Barnes J, Frost C, Yeatman T, Fox NC, Rossor MN (2006) Amyloid load and cerebral atrophy in Alzheimer's disease: an 11C-PIB positron emission tomography study. Ann Neurol. Jul;60(1):145–7.

International presentations

  • Microglial activation is associated with higher grey matter density and hippocampal volume in MCI subjects. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; London, UK July 2017
  • Dementia platform UK experimental medicine: human in vivo astroglial activation in early Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; London, UK July 2017
  • Different modelling approaches for tau tracer 18F-AV1451 in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; London, UK July 2017
  • Strategies to develop parametric maps for TSPO PET Tracer [11C] - PBR28 in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; London, UK July 2017
  • Regional kinetic modelling application for TSPO PET tracer [11C]PBR28. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; London, UK July 2017
  • Amyloid deposition, tau aggregation and microglial activation correlate with vascular burden in vivo in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; London, UK July 2017
  • Microglial activation in Alzheimer’s disease detected by novel third generation translocator protein tracer flutriciclamide ([18F]GE180). Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; London, UK July 2017
  • Cardiometabolic risk predicts biomarkers progression in Alzheimer’s disease trajectory. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; London, UK July 2017
  • Evaluation of caspase-3 activation in an Alzheimer’s disease population using [18F]ICMT-11 PET/CT. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; London, UK July 2017
  • Does microglial activation predate amyloid formation in Alzheimer’s disease trajectory? Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; Toronto, Canada July 2016 
  • Does microglial activation influence hippocampal volume and neuronal function in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease? Alzheimer’s Association International Conference: Washington DC July 2015
  • Influence of microglial activation on neuronal function in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease dementia; American Academy of Neurology 2014
  • Influence of neuroinflammation on neuronal function in neurodegenerative diseases: An 11C-(R)-PK11195 and 18F-FDG PET Study: Edison P, Fan Z, Yahyah A, Ahmed I, Chaudhury R K, Brooks DJ: American Academy of Neurology 2013
  • Voxel-by-voxel correlation between amyloid load and microglial activation in Alzheimer and MCI subjects. Paul Edison, Fan Zhen, David J Brooks. Human Amyloid Imaging 2013
  • Relationship between microglial activation, amyloid deposition and glucose metabolism in AD and PDD subjects. Edison, P and Brooks DJ. International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease, Vancouver 2012
  • Amyloid imaging in atypical dementia using [11C]PIB: International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease: 2011 (Paris)
  • Amyloid imaging in persenilin 1 mutation carriers with 11C-PiB-PET  A. F. Ramlackhansingh, W. D. Knight, A. Okello, N. Ryan, F. Turkheimer, S. Rodriguez Martinez De Llano, P Edison, J. Douglas, N. C. Fox, M. N. Rossor, D. J. Brooks.
  • Amyloid Imaging in Dementia: International Conference on Vascular Dementia, Budapest,  Hungary, Nov 2007
  • Amyloid load in Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD) measured with 11C-PIB PET: American Academy of Neurology, April 2007, Boston, MN, USA. (Scientific highlights)
  • Amyloid imaging in AD, MCI, DLB, PDD, PD, and FTD using 11C-PIB PET: Human Amyloid Imaging, Boston, April, 2007
  • Longitudinal follow up of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer’s disease:  International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease, Madrid 2006 
  • Amyloid load, microglial activation and cognition: an 11C-PIB, 11C-PK11195 and 18F-FDG PET study. American Geriatrics Society, Annual Meeting, May 2006, Chicago. (Best Paper Award)
  • Amyloid deposition and metabolic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment: an 11C-PIB and 18F-FDG PET study. 58th American Academy of Neurology, April 2006, San Diego, CA, USA (Scientific highlights)
  • Microglial activation and amyloid deposition in Alzheimer’s disease: an 11C-PK11195 and 11C-PIB PET study. 58th American Academy of Neurology, April 2006, San Diego, CA, USA. (Scientific highlights)
  • Relationship between amyloid load, microglial activation and cognition: an 11C-PIB, 11C-PK11195 and 18F-FDG PET study: 57th American Academy of Neurology, Miami April 2005 (Scientific highlights)
  • Correlation of regional cerebral amyloid load in Alzheimer's disease, measured with [11C]-PIB PET using spectral analysis and tissue uptake ratios, with performance on recognition memory tests: Brain PET 05, Amsterdam, 2005
  • Amyloid load in mild cognitive impairment compared to Alzheimer patients and normal subjects: An 11C-PIB PET study: International conference on prevention of Alzheimer's and Dementia, Washington DC, June 2005
  • Correlations between the distribution of microglial activation and amyloid plaque load in Alzheimer’s disease: an 11C-PK11195 and 11C-PIB PET study. International Conference on Prevention of Alzheimer's and Dementia, Washington DC, June 2005
  • Cost effectiveness of BNP v/s ECHO in assessing cardiac failure in Primary Care Setting. European Union Conference of Geriatric Medicine at Florence, Italy April 2005

Other invited talks

  • Alzheimer’s Association International conference 2017, London
  • Alzheimer´s disease and other proteinopathies-early detection and drug targets; Karolinska; 2017
  • Alzheimer’s Disease Congress, Antalya 2016
  • German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases 2016
  • Canadian Centre for Neurodegenrative Diseases and Ageing 2016 
  • Molson Lecture, McGill University, 2016
  • European College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2015
  • International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease 2014
  • EUGMS (European Union Geriatric Medicine Society)
  • International Conference on Vascular Dementia
  • Microglia and amyloid in Alzheimer’s disease: Karolinska Institute 2014
  • University of Turku, Finland 2012
  • New York University, USA 2011