Dr William Whiteley (BM BCh MA MSc PhD MRCP)
Reader in Neurology and Consultant Neurologist

- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences
- Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics
Contact details
Background
William Whiteley is a Scottish Senior Clinical Fellow (funded by CSO) in the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh.
He is also Senior Clinical Fellow in the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford; an International Fellow at the Population Health Research Institute, University of McMaster (Canada); and a consultant neurologist in NHS Lothian, working with patients with TIA, stroke and dementia.
Qualifications
Master of Science, University of London, Epidemiology Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Edinburgh, Biomarkers in Stroke Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Oxford Bachelor of Arts, University of Cambridge, Neurophysiology
Responsibilities & affiliations
Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Canada
Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Areas of interest for supervision
I have a track record of supporting interested clinicians gain independent funding, and have mentored several fellows through academic clinical fellowships. If you would like to join me to investigate clinical epidemiology, clinical trials, cerebrovascular disease, or use of 'big data' please contact me by email: william.whiteley@ed.ac.uk
Current PhD students supervised
Dr. Emma Davidson, PhD: Identifying brain imaging phenotypes in radiology records (Alzheimer's Society)
Dr. Jakub Kaczynski, PhD: Novel methods to identify high risk carotid plaque (BHF)
Laura Sherlock, PhD: Effect of different analytic techniques on cognitive outcomes in prevention of vascular cognitive impairment (CSO)
Past PhD students supervised
Dr. Yvonne Chun Efficient trials and anxiety after stroke (CSO)
Dr Akila Visvanathan Communication of prognosis after stroke (CSO)
Dr. Douglas Turnbull Predictive models after stroke (MRC)
Research summary
-
His work seeks to elucidate the mechanisms for prevention of disability due to stroke and dementia through the design, delivery and analysis of epidemiological studies and clinical trials. Of particular interest are: the contribution of vascular risk factors to dementia; the very long term follow-up of randomized trials; clinical diagnosis; and the better use of large electronic health record datasets for more efficient clinical trials and cohort studies.
He founded the Edinburgh Clinical Natural Language Processing Group with Dr Honghang Wu and Dr Bea Alex, a multidisciplinary team at the University of Edinburgh who apply natural language processing to clinical text.
He has founded and run the Edinburgh Stroke Winter School and clinical PhD research training programs in stroke (funded by the Stroke Association) and dementia (funded by the Alzheimer's Society and University of Edinburgh). He has been supported by personal fellowships from the UK MRC (Clinician Scientist fellowship 2010-2015), the Chief Scientist’s Office (2006-2009, 2018-2025), and his work by the Alzheimer's Society, the Stroke Association and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland
Research activities
- Bayer (External organisation)
- UK Stroke Forum 2020 to
- European Stroke Conference 2020 to
- British Heart Foundation (External organisation)
- NIHR (External organisation)
- The University of Manchester (External organisation)
- PHRI, Population Health Research Institute, Canada (External organisation)
- NIHR (External organisation)
- World Stroke Organisation (External organisation)
- PhD examination
- PHRI, Population Health Research Institute, Canada (External organisation)
- European Course in Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy (ECMINT)
- UK Stroke Forum
- European Stroke Organisation Conference to
- American Heart Association (External organisation) to
- Stroke Association (External organisation) to
- Swiss National Science Foundation (External organisation)
- NIHR (External organisation) to
- PhD examination
- AHA Stroke Journal (External organisation)
-
18F-NaF PET-MRI for detection of Carotid Atheroma in acute neurovascular syndrome
In:
Radiology
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Accepted/In press) -
Automated Clinical Coding: What, Why, and Where We Are?
(8 pages)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2203.11092
Research output: › Preprint (Published) -
Rivaroxaban versus aspirin on functional and cognitive outcomes after embolic stroke of undetermined source: NAVIGATE ESUS trial
In:
Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, vol. 31, pp. 106404
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2022.106404
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Effect of Carotid Endarterectomy on 20 Year Incidence of Recorded Dementia: A Randomised Trial
In:
European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejvs.2021.12.041
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Functional Abilities of an International Post-Stroke Population: Standard Assessment of Global Everyday Activities (SAGEA) Scale
In:
Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, vol. 31, pp. 106329
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2022.106329
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
European Stroke Organisation (ESO)–European Society for Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy (ESMINT) expedited recommendation on indication for intravenous thrombolysis before mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke and anterior circulation large vessel occlusion
In:
Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, pp. neurintsurg-2021-018589
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/neurintsurg-2021-018589
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Association of COVID-19 vaccines ChAdOx1 and BNT162b2 with major venous, arterial, or thrombocytopenic events: A population-based cohort study of 46 million adults in England
In:
PLoS Medicine, vol. 19, pp. e1003926
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003926
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The reporting quality of natural language processing studies - systematic review of studies of radiology reports
In:
BMC medical imaging
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12880-021-00671-8
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Effects of Antiplatelet Therapy After Stroke Caused by Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Extended Follow-up of the RESTART Randomized Clinical Trial
In:
JAMA Neurology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.2956
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Long-Term Incidence of Stroke and Dementia in ASCOT
In:
Stroke
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.033489
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print)