Dr James Alix

BSc(Hons), MBChB, MRCP, PhD, FRCP

Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health

Senior Clinical Lecturer in Neurophysiology

Honorary Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologist, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

j.alix@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 9100/222 2234

+44 114 215 9223

Room B35, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)

Full contact details

Dr James Alix
Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health
Room B35
Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)
385a Glossop Road
Sheffield
S10 2HQ

Profile

2018 – Present

Senior Clinical Lecturer in Neurophysiology, University of Sheffield

Honorary Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologist, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

2015 – 2018:

NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Neurophysiology, University of Sheffield

2012 – 2014:

Specialty Registrar in Clinical Neurophysiology, Yorkshire and the Humber Deanery

2010 – 2012:

NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship in Core Medical Training/Neurology, University of Sheffield

2008 – 2010:

Academic Foundation Programme, Imperial College, London

2000 – 2008:

MB/PhD programme, University of Leicester Medical School

I studied medicine at Leicester Medical School, undertaking an intercalated BSc in neuroscience (1^st class Hons). I then entered the MB/PhD programme, completing a PhD on the molecular mechanisms of perinatal white matter injury. After graduating I completed academic foundation programme training in London before coming to Sheffield to take up an NIHR academic clinical fellowship in neurology. I subsequently moved into clinical neurophysiology and completed the final part of my training as an NIHR clinical lecturer.

Research interests

My research focuses on the development of new techniques to diagnose and monitor neuromuscular disorders. I use electrophysiology and different forms of spectroscopy in both pre-clinical and clinical settings in order to better understand how these diseases start and change over time.

Current projects:

Use of electrical impedance myography in neuromuscular disease
Use of Raman spectroscopy in neuromuscular disease
Phenotyping preclinical models of MND

Funding

My work is or has been supported by the following:

Medical Research Council

Academy of Medical Sciences

Motor Neurone Disease Association

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Ryder Briggs Neuroscience Research Fund/Neurocare

Compound muscle action potentials, surface EMG recordings and a novel electrical impedance spectroscopy device.

Publications

Journal articles

Alix JJP, Plesia M, Schooling CN, Dudgeon AP, Kendall CA, Kadirkamanathan V, McDermott CJ, Gorman GS, Taylor RW, Mead RJ , Shaw PJ et al (2022) Non‐negative matrix factorisation of Raman spectra finds common patterns relating to neuromuscular disease across differing equipment configurations, preclinical models and human tissue. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy.
Alix JJP, Verber NS, Schooling CN, Kadirkamanathan V, Turner MR, Malaspina A, Day JCC & Shaw PJ (2022) Label-free fibre optic Raman spectroscopy with bounded simplex-structured matrix factorization for the serial study of serum in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The Analyst, 147(22), 5113-5120.
Paterson TE, Hagis N, Boufidis D, Wang Q, Moore SR, Da Silva AC, Mitchell RL, Alix JJP & Minev I (2022) Monitoring of hand function enabled by low complexity sensors printed on textile. Flexible and Printed Electronics, 7(3). View this article in WRRO
Alix JJP, Plesia M, Hool SA, Coldicott I, Kendall CA, Shaw PJ, Mead RJ & Day JC (2022) Fibre optic Raman spectroscopy for the evaluation of disease state in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: an assessment using the mdx model and human muscle. Muscle and Nerve.
Schooling CN, Healey TJ, McDonough HE, French SJ, McDermott CJ, Shaw PJ, Kadirkamanathan V & Alix JJP (2022) Tensor electrical impedance myography identifies bulbardisease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Clinical Neurophysiology, 139, 69-75.
Alix J, Plesia M, Lloyd GR, Dudgeon A, Kendall CA, Hewamadduma C, Hadjivassiliou M, McDermott C, Gorman G, Taylor R , Shaw PJ et al (2022) Rapid identification of human muscle disease with fibre optic Raman spectroscopy. Analyst.
Chan Y, Alix JJP, Neuwirth C, Barkhaus PE, Castro Tech J, Jenkins TM, McDermott CJ, Shaw PJ, Carvalho M, Nandedkar S , Stålberg E et al (2021) Reinnervation as measured by the motor unit size index is associated with preservation of muscle strength in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but not all muscles reinnervate. Muscle & Nerve.
Sassani M, Alix J, Mcdermott C, Baster K, Hoggard N, Wild J, Mortiboys H, Shaw P, Wilkinson I & Jenkins T (2021) Brain energy metabolism in ALS: A phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 429, 119412.
Jamie Healey T, Billinge DER, Alix DJJP, Kadirkamanathan PV & Kemp CR (2021) Circuit architecture for electrical impedance spectroscopy instrumentation to address electrode impedance mismatch in clinical devices. IEEE Sensors Journal.
Keerie A, Brown-Wright H, Kirkland I, Grierson A, Alix JJP, Holscher C & Mead RJ (2021) The GLP-1 receptor agonist, liraglutide, fails to slow disease progression in SOD1G93A and TDP-43Q331K transgenic mouse models of ALS. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 17027.
Watkins JA, Alix JJP, Shaw PJ & Mead RJ (2021) Extensive phenotypic characterisation of a human TDP-43^Q331K transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Scientific Reports, 11(1). View this article in WRRO
Watkins J, Ghosh A, Keerie AFA, Alix JJP, Mead RJ & Sreedharan J (2021) Author Correction: Female sex mitigates motor and behavioural phenotypes in TDP-43Q331K knock-in mice. Scientific Reports, 11(1).
Plesia M, Stevens OA, Lloyd GR, Kendall CA, Coldicott I, Kennerley AJ, Miller G, Shaw PJ, Mead RJ, Day JCC & Alix JJP (2021) In Vivo Fiber Optic Raman Spectroscopy of Muscle in Preclinical Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.. ACS Chem Neurosci.
Butler E, Mills N, J P Alix J & Hart AR (2021) Knowledge and attitudes of critical care providers towards neurophysiological monitoring, seizure diagnosis, and treatment. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.
Schooling CN, Gyenge N, Kadirkamanthan V & Alix JJP (2021) The lost tribe : the importance of healthcare staff and service design during COVID-19. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness.
Watkins J, Ghosh A, Keerie AFA, Alix JJP, Mead RJ & Sreedharan J (2020) Female sex mitigates motor and behavioural phenotypes in TDP-43Q331K knock-in mice. Scientific Reports, 10(1). View this article in WRRO
Alix JJP, McDonough HE, Sonbas B, French SJ, Rao DG, Kadirkamanathan V, McDermott CJ, Healey TJ & Shaw PJ (2020) Multi-dimensional electrical impedance myography of the tongue as a potential biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Clinical Neurophysiology. View this article in WRRO
Gossling L, Alix JJP, Stavroulakis T & Hart AR (2020) Investigating and managing neonatal seizures in the UK: an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach. BMC Pediatrics, 20(1). View this article in WRRO
Jenkins TM, Alix JJP, Fingret J, Esmail T, Hoggard N, Baster K, McDermott CJ, Wilkinson ID & Shaw PJ (2020) Correction to: Longitudinal multi-modal muscle-based biomarker assessment in motor neuron disease. Journal of Neurology, 267(1), 257-258.
Alix JJP, Neuwirth C, Gelder L, Burkhardt C, Castro J, de Carvalho M, Gawel M, Goedee S, Grosskreutz J, Lenglet T , Moglia C et al (2019) Assessment of the reliability of the motor unit size index (MUSIX) in single subject “round-robin” and multi-centre settings. Clinical Neurophysiology, 130(5), 666-674. View this article in WRRO
Henderson D, Alix JJP & Sinha S (2019) Holocord syrinx presenting with foot drop. Journal of Surgical Case Reports, 2019(4). View this article in WRRO
Verber NS, Shepheard SR, Sassani M, McDonough HE, Moore SA, Alix JJP, Wilkinson ID, Jenkins TM & Shaw PJ (2019) Biomarkers in Motor Neuron Disease: A State of the Art Review. Frontiers in Neurology, 10. View this article in WRRO
Alix JJP, Kandler RH, Pang C, Stavroulakis T & Catania S (2019) Sleep deprivation and melatonin for inducing sleep in paediatric electroencephalography: a prospective multicentre service evaluation. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 61(2), 181-185. View this article in WRRO
Carlson S, Kandler RH, Moorhouse D, Ponnusamy A, Mordekar SR & Alix JJP (2018) Home video telemetry in children: A comparison to inpatient video telemetry. Seizure, 61, 209-213. View this article in WRRO
Jenkins T, Alix J, David C, Pearson E, Ganesh Rao D, Hoggard N, O'Brien E, Baster K, Bradburn M, Bigley J , McDermott C et al (2018) Imaging muscle as a potential biomarker of denervation in motor neuron disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 89, 248-255. View this article in WRRO
Hart AR & Alix JJP (2018) Can neonatal staff site EEG leads in the correct position? A pilot study. Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 103(2), F190-F190. View this article in WRRO
Alix JJP, Ponnusamy A, Pilling E & Hart AR (2016) An introduction to neonatal EEG. Paediatrics and Child Health. View this article in WRRO
Hart AR, Ponnusamy A, Pilling E & Alix JJP (2016) Neonatal cerebral function monitoring – understanding the amplitude integrated EEG. Paediatrics and Child Health. View this article in WRRO
Jenkins TM, Alix JJP, Kandler RH, Shaw PJ & McDermott CJ (2016) The role of cranial and thoracic electromyography within diagnostic criteria for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Muscle & Nerve, 54(3), 378-385. View this article in WRRO
Alix JJ, Alam T, Garrard K, Martindale J, Shanmugarajah P, Rao DG & Hadjivassiliou M (2016) Variable sensory nerve conduction parameters in late onset Friedreich ataxia.. Muscle Nerve. View this article in WRRO
Alam T, Alix JJ, Rao DG & Hadjivassiliou M (2016) Anti-MAG negative distal acquired demyelinating symmetric neuropathy in association with a neuroendocrine tumor.. Muscle Nerve. View this article in WRRO
Neuwirth C, Burkhardt C, Alix J, Castro J, de Carvalho M, Gawel M, Goedee S, Grosskreutz J, Lenglet T, Moglia C , Omer T et al (2016) Quality Control of Motor Unit Number Index (MUNIX) Measurements in 6 Muscles in a Single-Subject “Round-Robin” Setup. PLoS ONE, 11(5). View this article in WRRO
Alam T, Barker ASE, Alix JJP, Hadjivassiliou M & Rao DG (2016) Sensory Ganglionopathy and the Blink Reflex: Electrophysiological Features. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques, 43(3), 385-389.
Alix JJP, Ponnusamy A & Hart AR (2015) Brief rhythmic discharges in neonates: a marker for seizures. Epileptic Disorders, 17(3), 349-349.
Hart AR, Pilling EL & Alix JJP (2015) Neonatal seizures—part 1: Not everything that jerks, stiffens and shakes is a fit. Archives of disease in childhood - Education & practice edition, 100(4), 170-175.
Hart AR, Pilling EL & Alix JJP (2015) Neonatal seizures—part 2: Aetiology of acute symptomatic seizures, treatments and the neonatal epilepsy syndromes. Archives of disease in childhood - Education & practice edition, 100(5), 226-232.
Alix JJP, Hadjivassiliou M, Ali R, Slater D, Messenger AG & Rao DG (2015) Sensory ganglionopathy with livedoid vasculopathy controlled by immunotherapy. Muscle & Nerve, 51(2), 296-301.
Alix JJP, Kandler RH & Mordekar SR (2014) The value of long term EEG monitoring in children: A comparison of ambulatory EEG and video telemetry. Seizure, 23(8), 662-665.
Alix JJP & Shaw PJ (2014) Thyroid Disease and the Nervous System, 329-350.
Goodwin E, Kandler RH & Alix JJP (2014) The value of home video with ambulatory EEG: A prospective service review. Seizure, 23(6), 480-482.
Blackburn DJ, Alix JJP, Sarrigiannis P, Hoggard N & Bandmann O (2013) Delayed toxic–hypoxic encephalopathy. Practical Neurology, 13(2), 114-119.
Alix JJP, Blackburn DJ, Sokhi D, Craven I, Sharrack B & Snowden JA (2013) Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation following pulsed cyclophosphamide in a severely disabled patient with malignant multiple sclerosis. Journal of Neurology, 260(3), 914-916.
Alix JJP, Zammit C, Riddle A, Meshul CK, Back SA, Valentino M & Fern R (2012) Central axons preparing to myelinate are highly sensitivity to ischemic injury. Annals of Neurology, 72(6), 936-951.
Alix JJP, Ponnusamy A, Bhattacharyya D, Hoggard N & Grünewald RA (2012) Complex partial seizures: Going out with a hiccup. Seizure, 21(10), 820-822.
Alix JJP, Blackburn DJ, Bhattacharyya D & Ponnusamy A (2012) Breathing arms. The Spine Journal, 12(7), 629-630.
Alix JJP & de Jesus Domingues AM (2011) White matter synapses: Form, function, and dysfunction. Neurology, 76(4), 397-404.
Alix JJP (2009) Axons and multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 15(2), 278-278.
Alix JJP & Fern R (2009) Glutamate receptor-mediated ischemic injury of premyelinated central axons. Annals of Neurology, 66(5), 682-693.
Arranz AM, Hussein A, Alix JJP, Pérez-Cerdá F, Allcock N, Matute C & Fern R (2008) Functional glutamate transport in rodent optic nerve axons and glia. Glia, 56(12), 1353-1367.
Alix JJP, Dolphin AC & Fern R (2008) Vesicular apparatus, including functional calcium channels, are present in developing rodent optic nerve axons and are required for normal node of Ranvier formation. The Journal of Physiology, 586(17), 4069-4089.
Alix JJP (2006) Recent Biochemical Advances in White Matter Ischaemia. European Neurology, 56(2), 74-77.
Alix JJP (2006) The pathophysiology of ischemic injury to developing white matter. McGill Journal of Medicine, 9(2), 134-140.
Alix JJP, Plesia M, Stockholm D, Shaw PJ, Mead RJ & Day JCC () In Vivo Raman Spectroscopy of Muscle Is Highly Sensitive for Detection of Healthy Muscle and Highly Specific for Detection of Disease. Analytical Chemistry.
Conwill MT, Alix JJP & Shaw PJ () Hyperexcitability of the asymptomatic motor cortex in a case of Mills' syndrome. Muscle & Nerve.
Alix JJP, Plesia M, Dudgeon AP, Kendall CA, Hewamadduma C, Hadjivassiliou M, Gorman GS, Taylor RW, McDermott CJ, Shaw PJ , Mead RJ et al () Conformational fingerprinting with Raman spectroscopy reveals protein structure as a translational biomarker of muscle pathology. The Analyst.
Alix JJP, Plesia M, Shaw PJ, Mead RJ & Day JCC () Combining electromyography and Raman spectroscopy: optical EMG. Muscle & Nerve.
Schooling CN, Healey TJ, McDonough HE, French SJ, McDermott CJ, Shaw PJ, Kadirkamanathan V & Alix JJP () Tensor electrical impedance myography identifies clinically relevant features in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Physiological Measurement.
Ghahremani Nezhad H, Franklin JP, Alix JJP, Moll T, Pattrick M, Cooper-Knock J, Shanmugarajah P, Beauchamp NJ, Hadjivissiliou M, Paling D , Mcdermott C et al () Simultaneous ALS and SCA2 associated with an intermediate-length ATXN2 CAG-repeat expansion. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 1-3.
Schooling C, Healey TJ, McDonough H, French S, McDermott C, Shaw P, Kadirkamanathan V & Alix J () Modelling and analysis of electrical impedance myography of the lateral tongue. Physiological Measurement.
Schooling CN, Gyenge N, Kadirkamanathan V & Alix JJP () Forecasting Hospital Staff Availability During The COVID-19 Epidemic. View this article in WRRO
Alix JJP () Clinician-scientist training: A perspective from across the pond. Annals of Neurology, 68(1), 119-120.
Jenkins TM, Alix JJP, Fingret J, Esmail T, Hoggard N, Baster K, McDermott CJ, Wilkinson ID & Shaw PJ () Longitudinal multi-modal muscle-based biomarker assessment in motor neuron disease. Journal of Neurology. View this article in WRRO
Sassani M, Alix J, McDermott C, Baster K, Hoggard N, Wild J, Mortiboys H, Shaw P, Wilkinson I & Jenkins T () Magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals mitochondrial dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain.
Alix JJP, Plesia M, Lloyd GR, Dudgeon AP, Kendall CA, McDermott CJ, Gorman GS, Taylor RW, Shaw PJ & Day JC () The application of Raman spectroscopy to the diagnosis of mitochondrial muscle disease: A preliminary comparison between fibre optic probe and microscope formats. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy.

Chapters

Vucic S, de Carvalho M, Bashford J & Alix JJP (2024) Contribution of neurophysiology to the diagnosis and monitoring of ALS, International Review of Neurobiology (pp. 87-118). Elsevier
Abrams GM, Albers GW, Alix JJP, Aminoff MJ, Bharucha AE, Batla A, Benson CM, Betjemann JP, Brosch JR, Camilleri M , Chen R et al (2014) Contributors, Aminoff's Neurology and General Medicine (pp. vii-xii). Elsevier
Alix JJP & Salter MG (2011) Highlights in understanding white matter ischemia, Brain Mapping and Diseases (pp. 61-80).
Alix JJP (2009) Organisation of the node of ranvier in myelinated central axons, Handbook on White Matter: Structure, Function and Changes (pp. 317-334).

Conference proceedings papers

Jenkins T, Alix J, Rao G, Hoggard N, O'Brien E, Baster K, Bradburn M, Bigley J, McDermott C, Wilkinson I & Shaw P (2017) Imaging denervation in motor neuron disease for future clinical trials: a longitudinal cohort study. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, Vol. 381 (pp 102-102) View this article in WRRO
Rao DG, Alix J, Ali R, Slater D, Messenger A & Hadjivassiliou M (2014) A RARE CAUSE FOR DORSAL ROOT GANGLIONOPATHY WITH RESPONSE TO IMMUNOMODULATION. MUSCLE & NERVE, Vol. 50(4) (pp 646-646)
Blackburn D, Alix JP & Bandmann O (2012) A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: ALL WHITE THEN, ALL RIGHT NOW?. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, Vol. 83(Suppl 2) (pp A16.2-A16)
Alix J, Blackburn D, Sokhi D, Dalley C, Jessop H, Sharrack B & Snowden J (2012) Pulse high-dose cyclophosphamide in malignant multiple sclerosis may result in successful functional recovery and stem cell mobilisation to enable safe delivery of AHSCT. BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION, Vol. 47 (pp S227-S228)

Preprints

Weinreich M, McDonough H, Yacovzada N, Magen I, Cohen Y, Harvey C, Gornall S, Boddy S, Alix J, Mohseni N , Kurz JM et al (2024) predicTTE: An accessible and optimal tool for time-to-event prediction in neurological diseases, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
McKinnon S, Qiang Z, Keerie A, Wells T, Shaw PJ, Alix JJP & Mead RJ (2024) Maximising the translational potential of neurophysiology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a study on compound muscle action potentials, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Research group

PhD students

Nicholas Hagis (Primary supervisor)

Scott McKinnon (co-supervisor; Primary supervisor Dr Richard Mead)

Postdoc:

Dr Ali Awan

Teaching interests

I am module leader for the Applied Neuroanatomy & Clinical Neuroscience module on the MSc Neurology course.

I regularly give neurophysiology lectures to medical and postgraduate students. I also provide research supervision to PhD students, intercalating medical students, MSc students and supervise students on SSC attachments. I am also a personal and academic (PATS) tutor for medical students. I am also the training programme director for clinical neurophysiology (Yorkshire and the Humber).

I am particularly keen to encourage medical students to undertake research during their time at medical school and welcome any enquiries regarding potential projects.

Professional activities and memberships

Module Leader, Applied Neuroanatomy & Clinical Neuroscience module, MSc Neurology course, University of Sheffield.

Ad hoc peer review for journals, including Clinical Neurophysiology, Muscle and Nerve, European Journal of Neurology.

Grant reviewer for Medical Research Council, NIHR, Motor Neurone Disease Association, MND Scotland, Academy of Medical Sciences, Royal Society.

Awards

Lord Adrian Prize, British Society for Clinical Neurophysiology, 2017

Distinction, Final Professional Examination, University of Leicester, 2008

Wellcome Trust Elective Prize, 2008

Physiological Society Studentship, 2005

Leicester Medical Research Foundation (Medisearch) Studentship, 2004

Charles Lawson Award for Intercalated Studies, University of Leicester, 2004

Examples of prizes awarded to my students:

British Society of Clinical Neurophysiology intercalation award (Mr H. McDonough, 2017; Mr Y. Chan, 2019; Ms A Hodgson, 2023)

British Society of Clinical Neurophysiology Medical Student Essay Prize (Mr Z. Qiang, 2023)

Clinical Research Poster Prize (29th International Symposium on ALS/MND, Mr H. McDonough, 2018)

BioSheffield Poster Prize (Mr N. Hagis, 2022)

University of Sheffield Summer Research Scholarships (Mr. Z Qiang, Ms H. Ji, 2022; Ms. C Kelly 2023)