Professor Athimalaipet Ramanan
Expertise
Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical trials - adaptive design in rare diseases Running large clinical trials across mutliple sites Heading research Units
Current positions
Honorary Professor
Contact
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Biography
Professor Ramanan is a medical advisor for Olivia’s Vision. He was awarded the British Society of Rheumatology’s Innovation in Clinical Practice Award in 2010. He was also awarded the University of Bristol Vice Chancellor’s Health Impact award in 2017 and Royal College of Physicians/NIHR CRN Award for outstanding contribution to research in 2018.
Professor Ramanan’s has published >250 articles and numerous book chapters covering a variety of topics in the field of rheumatology. He is the Co-Editor of Rheumatology and Associate Editor for the Archives of Diseases in Childhood.
He is one of the Editors of 5th Edition of Oxford Textbook of Rheumatology.
He has also led pivotal trials of Tocilizumab and Baricitinib in COVID-19 and part of the paediatric steering committee of the RECOVERY trial.
Research interests
- Randomised controlled trials of novel biological drugs in children with JIA associated uveitis. I am the Co-Chief Investigator of Sycamore Trial (RCT of adalimumab in JIA associated uveitis) funded by HTA/ARUK. I am also the Co-Chief Investigator of a trial of Tocilizumab in anti TNF refractory JIA associated uveitis.
- Leading on new agents for management of refractory arthritis in collaboration with industry
- Design and conduct studies in rare disease using novel study designs (Bayesian and Simon design)
- Looking at diagnostic markers and new therapies for MAS or secondary HLH
- Collaboration with colleagues in India on secondary HLH in Dengue fever
- Basic science studies on understanding pathogenesis of lupus nephritis
- Biomarkers in JIA and JIA associated uveitis.
- Associate Editor – Archives of Diseases in Childhood
- Editorial Board – Rheumatology
- Scientific Member, ARUK/MCRN Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical Studies Group
- Associate Director of ARUK funded only Paediatric Experimental Arthritis Treatment Centre leading on JIA-Uveitis and Industry workstreams
- Medical Advisor for National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) and National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society (NASS)
- Research Advisor for RCPCH Paediatric Rheumatology CSAC.
Projects and supervisions
Thesis supervisions
Publications
Recent publications
19/05/2026Acute cervical lymphadenitis in a febrile child: when to think beyond infection?
Archives of Disease in Childhood: Education and Practice Edition
Can targeting IL-1 mediated inflammation improve outcomes after neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy?
Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition
Combination of Methotrexate and Mycophenolate Mofetil for Refractory Uveitis and Scleritis: A Case Series
Retinal cases & brief reports
Efforts towards a precision medicine approach in juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Rheumatology
EULAR/American College of Rheumatology Classification Criteria for Pediatric Chronic Nonbacterial Osteomyelitis
Arthritis and Rheumatology
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