Professor Peter Rothwell is a distinguished clinical neurologist whose pioneering work has significantly advanced stroke prevention strategies worldwide. He currently serves as Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford and leads the Stroke Prevention Research Unit within the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience. After qualifying in medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1987, he completed his early postgraduate training before joining Oxford as Clinical Lecturer in Neurology in 1996. He was awarded an MRC Senior Clinical Fellowship in 1999 and established the Stroke Prevention Research Unit in 2000, which has since generated 25 doctorates and expanded to employ over 30 staff members. His academic excellence was recognized with an ad hominem Professorship in 2004 and election to the prestigious Academy of Medical Sciences in 2008.
Professor Rothwell's groundbreaking research has revolutionized clinical practice in stroke prevention through multiple seminal contributions that have directly improved patient outcomes. His work on accurate targeting of carotid surgery has ensured this intervention is focused on the small number of patients most likely to benefit, while his research on blood pressure variability revealed its critical importance as a risk factor beyond average blood pressure levels. Most notably, his Oxford Vascular Study demonstrated that taking aspirin immediately after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) reduces the chance of a major stroke within days by 80%, transforming TIAs from often-ignored episodes into recognized medical emergencies requiring urgent treatment. The EXPRESS study he led showed that rapid implementation of existing treatments including antiplatelet, blood pressure-lowering, and cholesterol-lowering drugs could reduce stroke risk by approximately 80% compared to standard care, a strategy now implemented across the UK preventing an estimated 10,000 strokes annually. Additionally, his analysis of large-scale randomized trials provided crucial evidence that aspirin reduces colon cancer risk with a latency period of about ten years, expanding our understanding of aspirin's therapeutic potential.
Beyond his research contributions, Professor Rothwell has profoundly influenced global stroke care through leadership roles with the National Stroke Strategy, Stroke Association, and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. He has authored over 300 scientific papers and several books, receiving numerous prestigious awards including the British Medical Journal Award for Outstanding Contribution to Clinical Research and the World Stroke Organisation Bienniel Award. His recent establishment of the Wolfson Centre for Prevention of Stroke and Dementia in 2020 represents a continued commitment to advancing research infrastructure in his field. Currently collaborating with Charité - Universitätsmedizin in Berlin, he is investigating neurological therapies to reduce recurrent stroke risk with particular attention to glucose metabolism as a risk factor. Professor Rothwell remains clinically active as an Honorary Consultant Neurologist while continuing to bridge the gap between research findings and clinical practice, ensuring his work delivers tangible benefits to patients worldwide.
