Associate Professor Stefan Blum
Associate Professor

Stefan Blum

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Background

Stefan is a Staff Specialist in Neurology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) and the Mater Centre for Neuroscience. He finished his training as neurologist in 2012.

He runs dedicated multiple sclerosis (MS) and Neuroimmunology clinics at the PAH, leading in modern MS therapies. Moreover, he has been at the forefront of advancing the field of neuroimmunology in Queensland, with establishment of dedicated neuroimmunology outpatient clinics at the RBWH and PAH, combining expertise from neurologists and immunologists in the care of this very complex group of disorders.

In addition to his busy, full-time clinical workload, Stefan has been involved as PI or CI in a range of clinical trials in the fields of MS, botulinum toxin, CIDP and Pompe’s disease. Additionally, he has performed and is involved in ongoing research projects of neuroimmunological disorders such as neuromyelitis optica, myasthenia gravis and autoimmune limbic encephalitis. He has been a member of the New Horizons study to assess prevalence of anti-neuronal antibodies in patients with new onset psychosis.

Prior to this, Stefan finished a PhD in the field of ‘Immunogenetics of Guillain-Barre Syndrome and Chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy’ at the University of Queensland in 2014. He also completed a doctoral thesis at the University of Heidelberg, Germany in 2002 in the field of T cell immunology. During this time, he has developed solid skills in bench-side immunological research.

Currently, he is neurological lead in a diverse group of clinicians and scientists investigating the role of antineuronal antibodies in neurological and psychiatric disease. He supervises 3 PhD students in the field of advanced imaging in autoimmune encephalitis and multiple sclerosis. He is currently building up a laboratory to test antineuronal antibodies using live cell assays.

Availability

Associate Professor Stefan Blum is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Autoimmunity Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Immunology Neurosciences Peripheral nervous system

Research interests

  • Neuronal cell surface antibodies in neurological and psychiatric disease

  • Social cognition in Multiple Sclerosis

  • The role of low dose Rituximab in autoimmune neurological disease

Research impacts

Stefan has been medical advisor and organiser of conferences of the national myasthenia gravis association. He is neurological advisor of the state-wide blood product services regarding use of immunoglobulins in neuroimmunological disorders. He is involved in the organisation of the International Society of Neuroimmunology Conference in Brisbane 2018. He is secretary of Neuroimmunology Australia, a national group of clinicians and researchers in the field of neuroimmunology. He was lead clinician in the development of referral guidelines for state-wide referral guidelines to Queensland Health Neurology services (CPC). He has been involved for many years in the education of medical student and young doctors, winning several teaching awards.

Search Professor Stefan Blum’s works on UQ eSpace

90 works between 2000 and 2024
All (90) Journal Article (67) Book Chapter (1) Conference Publication (21) Other Outputs (1)

81 - 90 of 90 works

2013

Journal Article

Immunoglobulin-responsive refractory epilepsy-3 cases with a similar EEG pattern

Dionisio, Sasha, Brown, Helen, Lander, Cecilie, Airey, Caroline, Lehn, Alexander, Nooruddin, Hozefa and Blum, Stefan (2013). Immunoglobulin-responsive refractory epilepsy-3 cases with a similar EEG pattern. Seizure-European Journal of Epilepsy, 22 (5), 403-408. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2013.02.013

Immunoglobulin-responsive refractory epilepsy-3 cases with a similar EEG pattern

2012

Journal Article

Common polymorphisms in dystonia-linked genes and susceptibility to the sporadic primary dystonias

Newman, Jeremy R. B., Sutherland, Greg T., Boyle, Richard S., Limberg, Nicole, Blum, Stefan, O'Sullivan, John D., Silburn, Peter A. and Mellick, George D. (2012). Common polymorphisms in dystonia-linked genes and susceptibility to the sporadic primary dystonias. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 18 (4), 351-357. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2011.11.024

Common polymorphisms in dystonia-linked genes and susceptibility to the sporadic primary dystonias

2012

Conference Publication

CT perfusion and bilateral paramedian thalamic stroke due to Artery of Percheron occlusion

Sheikh, N., Wong, A., O'Sullivan, J., Blum, S., Airey, C., Dionisio, S., Mitchell, K., Coulthard, A., Cloustan, J., Groundwater, A., Rajah, T., Jhamb, A. and Henderson, R. (2012). CT perfusion and bilateral paramedian thalamic stroke due to Artery of Percheron occlusion. Annual Scientific Meeting and the 8th Smart Strokes Australasian Nursing and Allied Health Stroke Conference, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 29-31 August 2012. Richmond, VIC Australia: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia. doi: 10.1111/j.1747-4930.2012.00907.x

CT perfusion and bilateral paramedian thalamic stroke due to Artery of Percheron occlusion

2011

Journal Article

Use and monitoring of low dose rituximab in myasthenia gravis

Blum, Stefan, Gillis, David, Brown, Helen, Boyle, Richard, Henderson, Robert, Heyworth-Smith, David, Hogan, Patrick, Kubler, Paul, Lander, Cecilie, Limberg, Nicole, Pillans, Peter, Prain, Kerri, Staples, Christopher, Walsh, Michael, McCombe, Pamela and Wong, Richard (2011). Use and monitoring of low dose rituximab in myasthenia gravis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 82 (6), 659-663. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2010.220475

Use and monitoring of low dose rituximab in myasthenia gravis

2011

Journal Article

Guillain-Barré Syndrome: Modern theories of etiology

Hardy, Todd A., Blum, Stefan, McCombe, Pamela A. and Reddel, Stephen W. (2011). Guillain-Barré Syndrome: Modern theories of etiology. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 11 (3), 197-204. doi: 10.1007/s11882-011-0190-y

Guillain-Barré Syndrome: Modern theories of etiology

2011

Journal Article

Atypical clinical presentations of the A3243G mutation, usually associated with MELAS

Blum, S., Robertson, T., Klingberg, S., Henderson, R.D. and McCombe, P. (2011). Atypical clinical presentations of the A3243G mutation, usually associated with MELAS. Internal Medicine Journal, 41 (2), 200-202. doi: 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2010.02379.x

Atypical clinical presentations of the A3243G mutation, usually associated with MELAS

2010

Conference Publication

Clinical characteristics of Aquaporin 4 auto-antibody positive patients – A case series

Blum, Stefan, Wong, Richard, Gillis, David, Wilson, Bob, Prain, Kerryn and McCombe, Pamela (2010). Clinical characteristics of Aquaporin 4 auto-antibody positive patients – A case series. ANZAN Annual Scientific Meeting 2014, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, May 2014. Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2010.07.067

Clinical characteristics of Aquaporin 4 auto-antibody positive patients – A case series

2010

Conference Publication

Unusual clinical presentations associated with the A3243G mutation

Blum, Stefan, Robertson, Thomas, Klingberg, Sandra, Henderson, Robert and McCombe, Pamela (2010). Unusual clinical presentations associated with the A3243G mutation. ANZAN Annual Scientific Meeting 2010, -, 2010. Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2010.07.066

Unusual clinical presentations associated with the A3243G mutation

2005

Journal Article

Fibronectin on activated T lymphocytes is bound to gangliosides and is present in detergent insoluble microdomains

Blum, Stefan , Hug, Friederike , Hansch, Gertrud M. and Wagner, Christof (2005). Fibronectin on activated T lymphocytes is bound to gangliosides and is present in detergent insoluble microdomains. Immunology and Cell Biology, 83 (2), 167-174. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1711.2005.01318.x

Fibronectin on activated T lymphocytes is bound to gangliosides and is present in detergent insoluble microdomains

2000

Journal Article

Fibronectin synthesis by activated T lymphocytes: up-regulation of a surface-associated isoform with signalling function

Wagner, C., Burger, A., Radsak, M., Blum, S., Hug, F. and Hansch, G. M. (2000). Fibronectin synthesis by activated T lymphocytes: up-regulation of a surface-associated isoform with signalling function. Immunology, 99 (4), 532-539. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2567.2000.00995.x

Fibronectin synthesis by activated T lymphocytes: up-regulation of a surface-associated isoform with signalling function

Past funding

  • 2020 - 2021
    Addressing the oral health needs of people with multiple sclerosis
    Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    Social cognition, psychiatric comorbidities and quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis
    Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    Identifying and treating patients with psychosis who are positive to anti-neuronal antibodies
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant

Availability

Associate Professor Stefan Blum is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Studies of myasthenia gravis using MGBase.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Pamela McCombe

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Utilising multimodal MRI to model disease activity before and after highly active disease modifying therapy in newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis.

    Principal Advisor

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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