Neil Mchugh

Biography

Professor McHugh graduated from Otago University Medical School New Zealand, completed physician training before specialising in the sub-specialty of Rheumatology and has had research fellowships at the Walter Elisa Hall in Melbourne (1985), Yale University Medical School (1990-1991) and the National Heart and Lung Institute (2002-2004). He has been a Consultant Rheumatologist at the RNHRD since 1991.) He directs a CPA accredited specialist serology laboratory within the Bath Institute for Rheumatic Diseases. He has led on successive BSR guidelines for biologics in psoriatic arthritis and has been involved in NICE and other international guidelines for psoriatic disease. He is current ARUK clinical study group lead for spondyloarthopathy.

Research Interest

Current research interests Autoantibodies in idiopathic inflammatory myositis and scleroderma. We are the designated centre for several serological projects in the field of scleroderma and the European centre for providing autoantibody data on over 2000 samples from adult and juvenile cases of myositis. In both conditions using proteomics we have identified and reported on novel autoantigens. The serotype is being incorporated into new classification criteria for myositis, can identify more distinct clinical phenotypes and is linked to genetic characterisation including results of GWAS and fine mapping studies including Illumina ImmunoChip microarray.