Paul Bacon

Presently Emeritus Professor, Division of Immunity & Infection, University of Birmingham (previously founding holder of ARC Chair of Rheumatology) and Chairman, Birmingham Arthritis Resource Centre.

Fellow of British Society of Rheumatology & Master of American College of Rheumatology

Resume of career

Medical education at Cambridge and London. Rheumatology clinical and research training at the Kennedy Institute followed by a Fellowship at UCLA.

A decade as consultant in Bath, the referral centre for the entire SW of England, provided experience across the range of rheumatic disease. Collaboration with Bath University on prostaglandins, linked to thermographic imaging of joint inflammation, started my career of translational research.

In Birmingham I set up a Rheumatology service for Britain’s second city, developing the largest academic Rheumatology Department in the UK, encouraging clinicians to undertake PhDs with scientists. This proved an excellent training ground for clinical research and 15 currently active Professors emerged.

My clinical interests focussed on assessment of connective tissue diseases. BVAS and VDI have become standard tools in European Vasculitis trials. A current collaboration is documenting the diversity of vasculitis in India and has developed new indices to assess their large series of Takayasu Arteritis.

My personal laboratory research, aided by an NIH sabbatical, centred on the signalling in cell activation. My current focus on the mechanisms linking inflammation and atherosclerosis examines the role of sphingolipids in T-cell + endothelial cell dysfunction in Vasculitis and RA.

Finally I have recently taken on the Chair of the AR-UK Fellowship Committee.

In addition I strive to manage a large garden and keep up with the grandchildren.