Stephen Davis, MD

Department of Neurology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

Stephen Davis is Professor and Director of the Division of Neurosciences and Director of Department of Neurology, at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

Dr Davis’ main research interests are acute management of stroke and TIA, thrombolysis for stroke and haemorrhage after rt-PA in acute ischaemic stroke, surgery for intracerebral haemorrhage, CT screening for thrombolysis, the use of PWI and DWI measures and advances in penumbra imaging with MR, antiplatelet therapies in stroke prevention, neuroprotection and feasibiliy of neuroprotective agent administration, stroke unit design, patent foramen ovale and stroke, steroids for stroke, blood pressure reduction and ACE inhibition in secondary stroke prevention, cervicocerebral artery dissections and surgery for carotid artery stenosis.

Dr Davis is or was a principle investigator in the BRAVO (blockade of the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor to avoid vascular occlusion) trial, the ASK (Australian Streptokinase) trial, the GAIN International (Glycine antagonist [gavestinel] in neuroprotection) trial, the PROGRESS (Perindopril pROtection aGainst REcurrent Stroke Study) trial, the ASSIST (Acute Stroke Studies Involving Selfotel Treatment) study, the ECASS II (European-Australasian Cooperative Acute Stroke Study), the MERFS (Melbourne Risk Factor Study), the ASAP (Avoid Stroke as Soon as Possible) general practice stroke audit, and the ICH NovoSeven® trial.

Dr Davis is or has been a member of the Australian Association of Neurologists (AAN), the International Society of Hypertension (ISH), the Stroke Society of Australasia, and the International Trial Subcommittee of the International Stroke Liaison Committee, American Stroke Association. He was Chairman of the 4th World Stroke Conference in Melbourne 2000 and Chairman of the Education Committee, World Congress of Neurology, Sydney 2005.

Dr Davis has authored and co-authored more than 200 scientific papers on cerebrovascular diseases in journals such as Stroke, Lancet Neurology, Cerebrovascular Diseases, Circulation, the Journal of Hypertension, Lancet, Neurology, Current Opinion in Neurology, the American Journal of Neuroradiology, and Annals of Neurology.

Kennedy Lees

University of Glasgow and Western Infirmary, Glasgow UK

Kennedy Lees is Professor of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the University of Glasgow and has been Director of the Acute Stroke Unit in the Western Infirmary in Glasgow since it was established in 1990. His research interests include acute neuroprotection and thrombolysis for stroke, stroke trial design and secondary prevention, including the use of antihypertensive drugs and their effect on cerebral blood flow. Recent research has concerned choice of outcome measures for stroke trials, the training of investigators in their use - such as the Rankin training programme - and the optimal analysis approaches.

Professor Lees has helped co-ordinate multicentre stroke trials including PROGRESS, ASSIST, MAST-E and CARESS, acted as principal investigator for the GAIN-International, IMAGES and SAINT I trials. He leads the Virtual International Stroke Trial Archive (VISTA) group, chaired the SAINT and CHANT Trials' Steering Committee, is a past chairman of the European Stroke Council and an executive member of the European Stroke Organisation. He has chaired data monitoring committees for several acute stroke trials including ICTUS, DIAS, ASSIST, mRECT trials and ECASS 3.