
Overview
Background
Dr. Robert James Adam MA(Cantab) MBBS (London) PhD(UCL) FRACP FRCP (London)
Behavioural neurologist with interests in cognition and movement disorders. Clinical lead for deep brain stimulation at The Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Senior Lecturer and Clinical Trials Specialist at UQCCR.
Movement disorders and advanced Parkinson's clinics in addition to Statewide Huntington's Disease, Friedreich's Ataxia and Metro North Deep Brain Stimulation services https://metronorth.health.qld.gov.au/news/deep-brain-stimulation-parkinsons. Young onset dementia clinic at STARS https://metronorth.health.qld.gov.au/stars/.
Principal investigator in 2 Phase 1b/2a clinical trials of novel antisense oligonucleotides for Huntington's Disease, PRECISION-HD1 & 2 and their open label extensions. I am part of a nationwide and statewide effort to investigate drug repurposing - particularly in Parkinson's Disease. I collaborate widely in investigator led research with both clinical scientists, basic scientists and allied health practioners both at UQ and beyond. Former research officer in PISA (Prospective Imaging Study of Aging) https://www.qimrberghofer.edu.au/pisa/ and the clinical lead for ADNet in QLD. ADNet is an NHMRC funded project to screen and register patients with cognitive impairment https://www.australiandementianetwork.org.au/.
I was trained in the US (NYU Medical Centre), UK (National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery in Queen Square, UCLH, Cambridge University Hospitals) and Australia (Royal North Shore and Westmead Hospitals, Sydney). My PhD (UCL 2014) Thesis, "Dopamine and Oculomotor Decisions In Health & Disease", investigated the use of eye movement recordings during behavioral tasks to monitor decision making in patients with focal lesions, Parkinson's disease, impulse control disorders and healthy volunteers both under the influence and without the effects of dopaminergic modulators. I teach both medical undergraduates and graduates, supervise higher degree candidates and have written chapters in medical textbooks.
Availability
- Dr Rob Adam is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Neuroscience, University of Cambridge
- Bachelor (Honours) of Medicine, University College London
- Doctor of Philosophy of Neuroscience, University College London
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
- Fellow, Royal College of Physicians of London, Royal College of Physicians of London
Research interests
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Cognitive Neurology
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Movement Disorders
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Parkinson's Disease
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Tremor
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Dementia
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Alzheimer's Disease
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Huntington's Disease
Research impacts
Research on biomarkers (PISA study & ADNet) may allow the early identification of "at risk" patients prior to the onset of neurodegenerative disease, thus provding a valuable "window" for intervention.
At the other end of the research spectrum, drug repurposing may discover new benefits of treatments (traditionally used in other disease entitities) for conditions that currently lack disease modifying therapies.
By engaging with community groups (e.g. HD QLD) and industry, we enable our patients to become involved in studies ranging from basic science and fundamental studies of brain function to pharmaceurtical trials of novel investigational agents.
Works
Search Professor Rob Adam’s works on UQ eSpace
2020
Conference Publication
Therapy to Reduce dementia risk In Parkinson’s disease (TRIP): proof-of-concept protocol
Pourzinal, D., Bakker, A., Byrne, G. J., McMahon, K., O'Sullivan, J., Adam, R., Copland, D., Yang, J. H. J., Au, T., Littleford, R., Chatfield, M., Pontone, G., Mari, Z. and Dissanayaka, N. (2020). Therapy to Reduce dementia risk In Parkinson’s disease (TRIP): proof-of-concept protocol. UQ Faculty of Medicine Higher Degree by Research Student Symposium, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 23-27 November 2020.
2020
Journal Article
A prospective cohort study of prodromal Alzheimer’s disease: Prospective Imaging Study of Ageing: genes, brain and behaviour (PISA)
Lupton, Michelle K., Robinson, Gail A., Adam, Robert J, Rose, Stephen, Byrne, Gerard J., Salvado, Olivier, Pachana, Nancy A., Almeida, Osvaldo P., McAloney, Kerrie, Gordon, Scott D., Raniga, Parnesh, Fazlollahi, Amir, Xia, Ying, Ceslis, Amelia, Sonkusare, Saurabh, Zhang, Qing, Kholghi, Mahnoosh, Karunanithi, Mohan, Mosley, Philip E., Lv, Jinglei, Borne, Léonie, Adsett, Jessica, Garden, Natalie, Fripp, Jurgen, Martin, Nicholas G., Guo, Christine C. and Breakspear, Michael (2020). A prospective cohort study of prodromal Alzheimer’s disease: Prospective Imaging Study of Ageing: genes, brain and behaviour (PISA). NeuroImage: Clinical, 29 102527, 102527. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102527
2020
Conference Publication
Improving diagnosis and treatment of anxiety in Parkinson’s disease: IDATA-PD study update
Dissanayaka, N., Byrne, G. J., Mitchell, L. K., O'Sullivan, J. D., Padmassini, A., White, E. X., Yang, J. H. J., Forbes, E., Thangavelu, K., Au, T., Lehn, A., Adam, R. and Pachana, N. A. (2020). Improving diagnosis and treatment of anxiety in Parkinson’s disease: IDATA-PD study update. Herston Health Precinct Symposium 2020, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 7-11 December 2020.
2020
Journal Article
Muddying the waters? A false positive case of autoimmune psychosis
Ketheesan, Sarangan, Bertram, Georgia, Adam, Robert, Stark, Anne and Scott, James G. (2020). Muddying the waters? A false positive case of autoimmune psychosis. Australasian Psychiatry, 29 (3) 1039856220965041, 1039856220965041-281. doi: 10.1177/1039856220965041
2020
Journal Article
Differential patterns of internally generated responses in parkinsonian disorders
Tjokrowijoto, Priscilla, Ceslis, Amelia, O'Sullivan, John D., Adam, Robert, Mellick, George, Silburn, Peter and Robinson, Gail A. (2020). Differential patterns of internally generated responses in parkinsonian disorders. Neuropsychologia, 146 107569, 107569. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107569
2020
Book Chapter
Neurology
Adam, Robert, Marshall, Charles and Birns, Jonathan (2020). Neurology. In Rupa Bessant, Jonathan Birns and Charlotte Ford (Ed.), Medicine for MRCP (pp. Unknown-Unknown) Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
2020
Conference Publication
Therapy to Reduce dementia risk In Parkinson’s disease (TRIP): Proof-of-concept protocol
Pourzinal, D., Bakker, A., Byrne, G., McMahon, K.L., O'Sullivan, J.D., Adam, R., Lehn, A., Copland, D., Yang, J.H., Au, T., Littleford, R., Chatfield, M., Pontone, G., Mari, Z. and Dissanayaka, N.N.W. (2020). Therapy to Reduce dementia risk In Parkinson’s disease (TRIP): Proof-of-concept protocol. Macquarie University BioNetwork 3rd Annual Research Symposium on Dementia, Online, 14-15 September 2020.
2018
Journal Article
Energization and spoken language production: evidence from progressive supranuclear palsy
Barker, Megan S., Nelson, Nicole L., O'Sullivan, John D., Adam, Robert and Robinson, Gail A. (2018). Energization and spoken language production: evidence from progressive supranuclear palsy. Neuropsychologia, 119, 349-362. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.09.004
2017
Journal Article
Impulsivity and rapid decision-making for reward
Heyes, Stephanie Burnett, Adam, Robert J., Urner, Maren, van der Leer, Leslie, Bahrami, Bahador, Bays, Paul M. and Husain, Masud (2017). Impulsivity and rapid decision-making for reward. Frontiers in Psychology, 3 (MAY) Article 153. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00153
2016
Journal Article
Neurophysiological features Of Hemiballism
Tai, Yi-cheng, Yin, Yun Wo Katie, Ha, Ainhi D., Adam, Robert, Mahant, Neil, Sue, Carolyn M. and Fung, Victor S. C. (2016). Neurophysiological features Of Hemiballism. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, 4 (1), 116-120. doi: 10.1002/mdc3.12356
2016
Conference Publication
2. Antecollis associated with Parkinson’s disease improved following apomorphine therapy
Yin, Y.W.K., Chang, F.C.F., Mahant, N., Fung, V.S.C., Tsui, D., Aldaajani, Z., Adam, R. and Hely, M. (2016). 2. Antecollis associated with Parkinson’s disease improved following apomorphine therapy. Proceedings of the 16th Biennial Clinical Neurophysiology Workshop of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 27–30 September, 2015. Elsevier BV. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.022
2015
Journal Article
Experience from two decades of the Cambridge Rapid Access Neurology Clinic
Axinte, Laura T., Fiddes, Barnaby D., Donaghy, Alastair, Whyte, Adam, Allen, Chris, Sawcer, Stephen, Adam, Robert J. and Stacpoole, Sybil R. L. (2015). Experience from two decades of the Cambridge Rapid Access Neurology Clinic. Clinical Medicine, 15 (5), 437-441. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.15-5-437
2015
Conference Publication
Antecollis associated with Parkinson's disease improved following apomorphine therapy
Chang, F. C. F., Mahant, N., Fung, V. S. C., Tsui, D. S. Y., Aldaajani, Z., Adam, R. and Hely, M. A. (2015). Antecollis associated with Parkinson's disease improved following apomorphine therapy. 19th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, San Diego, CA, United States, 14-18 June 2015. Hoboken, NJ, United States: John Wiley & Sons.
2014
Journal Article
Resolution of Othello Syndrome after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in 3 patients with parkinson's disease
Adam, Robert J., McLeod, Robert, Ha, Ainhi D., Colebatch, James G., Menzies, Graham, de Moore, Gregory, Mahant, Neil and Fung, Victor S. C. (2014). Resolution of Othello Syndrome after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in 3 patients with parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, 1 (4), 357-360. doi: 10.1002/mdc3.12084
2014
Journal Article
An unusual cause of cerebellar hemorrhage in a young patient: Essential thrombocythemia
Adam, Robert, Priglinger, Miriam, Harrington, Timothy, Gottlieb, David and Krause, Martin (2014). An unusual cause of cerebellar hemorrhage in a young patient: Essential thrombocythemia. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 23 (5), E373-E374. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2013.12.013
2013
Journal Article
Dopamine reverses reward insensitivity in apathy following globus pallidus lesions
Adam, R., Leff A., Sinha N., Turner C., Bays P., Draganski B. and Husain M. (2013). Dopamine reverses reward insensitivity in apathy following globus pallidus lesions. Cortex, 49 (5), 1292-1303. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2012.04.013
2013
Conference Publication
The changing face of urgent neurology outpatient referrals
Fiddes, Barnaby, Adam, Robert, Donaghy, Alastair, Whyte, Adam and Allen, Chris (2013). The changing face of urgent neurology outpatient referrals. Annual Meeting of the Association-of-British-Neurologists, Glasgow, Scotland, 21-24 May 2013. London, United Kingdom: B M J Group. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2013-306573.54
2012
Journal Article
Rapid decision-making under risk
Adam, Robert, Bays, Paul M. and Husain, Masud (2012). Rapid decision-making under risk. Cognitive Neuroscience, 3 (1), 52-61. doi: 10.1080/17588928.2011.613988
2009
Conference Publication
Oculomotor Impulsivity in Parkinson'S Disease
Adam, R. J., Bays, P. M., Singh-Curry, V., Bain, P. G. and Husain, M. (2009). Oculomotor Impulsivity in Parkinson'S Disease. ABN Joint Annual Meeting/Spanish-Society-of-Neurology, Liverpool England, Jun 22-26, 2009. B M J PUBLISHING GROUP. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2009.191759r
2009
Conference Publication
A novel task to probe impulsivity in Parkinson's disease
Adam, R., Bays, P. M., Singh-Curry, V., Bain, P. and Husain, M. (2009). A novel task to probe impulsivity in Parkinson's disease. 13th International Congress of Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders, Paris, France, 7-11 June 2009. Hoboken, NJ, United States: John Wiley & Sons.
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Rob Adam is:
- Available for supervision
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Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Rob Adam directly for media enquiries about:
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Behavioural Neurology
- Clinical Trials
- Cognition
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Dementia
- Dystonia
- Friedreich's Ataxia
- Huntington's Disease
- Medical Education
- Neurology
- Parkinson's disease
- Tourette's Syndrome
- Tremor
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