Prof Rustam Al-Shahi Salman
I lead the Research to Understand Stroke due to Haemorrhage (RUSH) programme, which is dedicated to improving the outcome for adults who have diseases that may cause, or have caused, intracranial haemorrhage.
I was inspired to work on common neurological problems by Charles Warlow and the stroke research group in Edinburgh, which I joined in 1998 as an MRC clinical training fellow, progressing to MRC patient-oriented clinician scientist and senior clinical fellowships until 2016. Since becoming a professor of clinical neurology at the University of Edinburgh in August 2013, my research has increasingly focussed on methodologically rigorous randomised controlled trials of interventions to prevent and treat stroke due to intracranial haemorrhage. As an honorary consultant neurologist since 2006, I care for people with neurological conditions including stroke in-hours and out-of-hours, I audit their care, and I help undergraduate and postgraduate students to develop and address clinical uncertainties within the RUSH programme.
I am keen to further improve the collaborations between chief investigators of clinical trials and Clinical Trials Units, as the clinical director of the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit since 2020, and the UKCRC Network of registered Clinical Trials Units 2023-2024.
My lived experience of clinical research has made me concerned about increasing the value of biomedical research by minimising waste in the choice of research question, study design, study conduct, regulation, and reporting. This led to me becoming one of the lead authors of The Lancet's 2014 Series on Increasing Value and Reducing Waste in Research and the related campaign The Lancet REWARD (REduce research Waste And Reward Diligence) Campaign, as well as a founding member of the REWARD Alliance.
However, the climate crisis is my greatest current concern. As president of the British & Irish Association of Stroke Physicians, I led them to join the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change. I am a sustainability champion for the University of Edinburgh. I am working to reduce carbon consumption in stroke services in NHS Lothian with support from their carbon reinvestment fund. My default mode of transport is the bicycle.
Related links
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Academic profile
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Prof Rustam Al-Shahi Salman