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Consultant Neuropathologist

General areas of expertise:
Brain, muscle and nerve disease

Areas of active research
Dr Hilton has been actively involved in research into Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD) since the 1990’s, and in particular looking for evidence of disease in the population be examining stored tonsil and appendicectomy specimens. This has shown evidence that a small proportion of the population may be silent carriers of the disease, which has encouraged the Department of Health to take a number of precautionary measure to prevent further spread of the disease.

In collaboration with Prof J Nicoll (University of Southampton), he has helped establish a national database of neuropathology archives (Brain Archive Information Network) which will greatly help researches studying neurological disease to identify tissue samples stored in different hospitals in the UK.

Other areas of interest include looking into the genetics of neurological tumours, most recently in collaboration with Prof O Hanemann at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, and aspects of the pathology of Parkinson’s Disease, including a study to find out whether the condition can be diagnosed by a bowel biopsy.

Publications (2009-present)

Familial prion disease with a novel serine to isoleucine mutation at codon 132 of PRNP.
D.A.Hilton, M.W.Head, V.K.Singh, M.Bishop, J.W.Ironside.
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2009; 35: 111-115.

Prevalence of disease related prion protein in anonymous tonsil specimens in Britain: cross sectional opportunistic survey.
J.P.Clewley, C.M.Kelly, N.Andrews, K.Vogliqi, G.Mallinson, M.Kaisar, D.A.Hilton, J.W.Ironside, P.Edwards, L.McCardle, R.Dabaghian, H.E.Ambrose, O.N.Gill.
British Medical Journal 2009; 338:b1442.

Activation of ERK, AKT and JNK signalling pathways in human schwannomas in situ.
D.A.Hilton, N.Ristic, C.O.Hanemann.
Histopathology 2009; 55: 744-749.

Spontaneous cranial extradural haematoma: case report and review of literature.
M.F.Hassan, B.Dhamija, J.D.Palmer, D.A.Hilton, W.Adams.
Neuropathology 2009; 29(4): 480-484.

A meningeal myofibroblastic neoplasm related to solitary fibrous tumour, and associated with a malignant neuroblastic element.
T.Bracey, D.A.Hilton, M.E.F.Smith.
Journal of Clinical Pathology 2010; 63(2): 180-183.

Targeting ERK1/2 Activation and Proliferation in Human Primary Schwannoma cells with MEK1/2 inhibitor AZD6244.
S.Ammoun, N.Ristic, C.Matthies, D.A.Hilton, C.O.Hanemann.
Neurobiology of Disease 2010; 37(1): 141-146.

Causality in acute encephalitis: defining aetiologies
J. Granerod, R. Cunningham, M. Zuckerman, K. Mutton, N.W.S. Davies, A. Walsh, K. Ward, D.A. Hilton, H.E. Ambrose, J.P. Clewley, D. Morgan, M. Lunn, T. Solomon, D.W.G. Brown & N.S. Crowcroft
Epidemiology and Infection 2010; 138(6): 783-800.

Juvenile ALS with basophilic inclusions is a FUS proteinopathy with FUS mutations.
D.Bäumer, D.A.Hilton, S.Paine, M.Turner, J.Lowe, K.Talbot, O.Ansorge
Neurology 2010; 75: 611-618.
Comments: Neurology 2010; 75: 584-585.

Persistent CSF rhinorrhoea, pneumocephalus and recurrent meninigitis following misdiagnosis of olfactory neuroblastoma.
N.Barua, D.A.Hilton, W.Mukonoweshuro, H.Khalil, L.H.Pobereskin.
Case Reports in Medicine 2010, Article ID 312081, 4 pages.

Use of antisera directed against dsRNA as a means of detecting viral infections in paraffin-embedded fixed tissue.
S.J. Richardson, A.Willcox, D.A.Hilton, S.Tauriainen, H.Hyoty, A.J.Bone, A.K.Foulis, N.G.Morgan.
Journal of Clinical Virology 2010; 49(3):180-185.

Effect of fixation on brain and lymphoreticular vCJD prions and bioassay of key positive specimens from a retrospective vCJD prevalence study 
J.D.F.Wadsworth, I.Dalmau-Mena, S.Joiner, J.M.Linehan, C.O’Malley, C.Powell, S.Brandner, E.A.Asante, J.W.Ironside, D.A.Hilton, J.Collinge.
Journal of Pathology 2011; 223(4): 511-518

Oculopharyngodistal myopathy - a possible association with cardiomyopathy
W.Thevathasan, W.Squier, D.H.MacIver, D.A.Hilton, E.Fathers, D.Hilton-Jones
Neuromuscular Disorders 2011; 21(2): 121-125.

Quantification of mitochondrial changes in muscle from individuals without muscle disease; comparison with mitochondrial disorders
K.Sleigh, S.Ball, D.A.Hilton 
Muscle and Nerve 2011; 46(6): 795-800.

Cannabinoid receptor and N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D – evidence for altered expression in multiple sclerosis
H.Zhang, D.A.Hilton, C.O.Hanemann, J.Zajicek.
Brain Pathology 2011; 21(5): 544-557.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) regulates human
schwannoma proliferation, adhesion and survival.
S.Ammoun, M.C.Schmid, L.Zhou, N.Ristic, E.Ercolano, D.A.Hilton, C.M.Perks. C.O.Hanemann.
Oncogene 2012; 31(13): 1710-1722.

Advising potential recipients on the use of organs from donors with primary CNS tumours.
A.N.Warrens, R.Birch, D.Collett, M.Daraktchiev, J.H.Dark, G.Galea, K.Gronow, J.Neuberger, D.A.Hilton, I.R.Whittle, C.J.E.Watson.
Transplantation 2012; 93(4):348-553.

An unusual case of a middle cranial fossa cystic schwannoma.
A.Vikas, W.Adams, D.A.Hilton, P.Whitfield.
BMJ Case Reports 2012  http://casereports.bmj.com/

Published abstracts

Brain archive information network (BRAIN UK).
N.E.Bailey, D.A.Hilton, J.A.R.Nicoll.
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2009; 35(1): 1-38.

Cannabinoid receptors expression in multiple sclerosis.
H.Zhang, O.Hanemann, M.Widmer, R.Hosking, N.Chadborn, J.Zajicek, D.A.Hilton.
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2009; 35(1): 1-38.

FUS pathology and FUS mutations characterise juvenile ALS with basophilic inclusions.
O.Ansorge, D.Bäumer, D.A.Hilton, S.Paine, M.Turner, J.Lowe, K.Talbot.
Brain Pathology 2010; 20(1): 35.

Frequency of mitochondrial changes in normal muscle.
D.A. Hilton, K. Sleigh, S. Ball.
Brain Pathology 2010; 20(1): 93.

Characterisation of fused in sarcoma pathology and FUS mutations in juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with basophilic inclusions.
K. Talbot, J. Lowe, O. Ansorge, D. Hilton, D. Baumer, S. Paine, M. Turner
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2010;81 e25

Mitochondrial changes in patients without muscle disease: association with age and muscle group. 
S.Ball, K.Sleigh, D.Hilton.
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2011; 37(1): 14-15.

Acquired rippling muscle disease – report of two cases. 
A.Shivane, D.A.Hilton, C.O.Hanemann.
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2011; 37(1): 29.

Brody disease: a rare case report.
A.Shivane, D.A.Hilton, D,Hilton-Jones.
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2011; 37(1): 29.

Gas6/axl-family receptors in schwannoma pathological proliferation, adhesion and survival.
S.Ammoun, L.Zhou, M.Barczyk, D.Hilton, S.Hafizi, C.O.Hanemann 
Neuro-oncology 2011; 13(2): 1.

Caspase and heat shock protein expression in sporadic inclusion body myositis.
I.Robinson, A.Shivane, D.A.Hilton.
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2012; 38(1): 17.

The role of insulin-like growth factors (IGFI/II) signalling in development of human schwannoma.
S.Ammoun, C.M.Schmid, N.Ristic, L.Zhou, D.Hilton, E.Ercolano, C.Carroll, C.O.Hanemann 
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2012; 38(1): 32.

Voltage-gated potassium channel antibody (VGKC Ab) –associated encephalitis: neuropathological features in two autopsy cases.
D.A.Hilton, S.Weatherby, B.N.McLean, A.Shivane, 
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2012; 38(1):  41.

Book chapters

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 11.
P.Giunti, H.Houlden, C.Gardner-Thorpe, P.F.Worth, J.Johnson, D.A.Hilton, T.Revesz, M.B.Davis, N.W.Wood.
In: Handbook of Clinical Neurology Volume 103 (3rd Series), Ataxic Disorders (pages 521-534). S.H.Subramony and A.Durr (eds). Elsevier 2012.

Grants awarded

1. November 2007, MRC Grant, £177,000

Co-applicant with Prof J Nicoll (University of Southampton) for this 3 year project to produce a national Brain Archive Information Network (BRAIN UK) – funding ends in October 2011.

2. October 2010, British Neuropathological Society Small Grant of £4,720

Study to investigate the endocannabinoid system in Parkinson’s disease. This funding is to provide support for consumables for Dr H Zhang to undertake the technical work (her salary is currently supported by clinical trials money at the PCMD).

3. October 2011, MRC Grant, £376,532

Co-applicant with Professor J Nicoll at the University of Southampton, for this 4 year extension to the project to produce a national Brain Archive Information Network (BRAIN UK).