Dr Victoria Haunton

I am an academic geriatrician with clinical expertise in Parkinson's disease and frailty. I completed my MD researching cerebral autoregulation in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease at the University of Leicester in 2014. I was then appointed to an NIHR ACL post before becoming a consultant and Honorary Senior Lecturer in 2016. I am affiliated with the CHiASM group in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and have supervised intercalated BSc and MSc MREs and doctoral degrees.

My research expertise is in using transcranial Doppler ultrasound to study cerebral haemodynamics, specifically cerebral autoregulation, vasomotor reactivity and neurovascular coupling, in healthy ageing and neurodegenerative diseases.  I have additional research interests in orthostatic hypotension, vascular disease, post-operative cognitive decline, frailty, and ageing physiology.  I have extensive PI experience, and am a co-investigator for the LiMb and CogFlow studies.  Previous grant funding has been awarded by the Dunhill Medical Test and the NIHR. 
Current research includes a CPRD study exploring Parkinson’s disease in minority ethnic groups, and a productive collaboration with the Universidad de Santiago de Chile.

Beishon LC, Panerai RB, Budgeon C, Subramaniam H, Mukaetova-Ladinska E, Robinson TG, Haunton VJ.  The Cognition and Flow Study: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Cognitive Training on Cerebral Blood Flow. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2021; doi: 10.3233/JAD-201444. Online ahead of print.

Houghton JSM, Nickinson ATO, Bridgwood B, Nduwayo S, Pepper CJ, Rayt HS, Gray LJ, Haunton VJ, et al. Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment in Individuals with Vascular Surgical Pathology: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. EJVES Feb 2021 Online ahead of print. PMID 33573912

Panerai R, Batterham A, Robinson TG, Haunton VJ. Determinants of cerebral blood flow velocity changes during squat-stand maneuvers.  Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. Feb 2021 Online ahead of print.  PMID: 33533312

Houghton JSM, Nickinson ATO, Morton AJ, Nduwayo S, Pepper CJ, Rayt HS, Gray LJ, Conroy SP, Haunton VJ, Sayers RD. Frailty Factors and Outcomes in Vascular Surgery Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ann Surg. 2020;272(2):266-276

Lithander FE, Neumann S, Tenison E, Lloyd K, Welsh TJ, Rodrigues JCL, Higgins JPT, Scourfield L, Christensen H, Haunton VJ*, Henderson EJ*. COVID-19 in Older People: A Rapid Clinical Review. Age Ageing. 2020;49(4):501-515 (*joint senior author)

Beishon LC, Batterham AP, Quinn TJ, Nelson CP, Panerai RB, Robinson T, Haunton VJ. Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III) and mini-ACE for the detection of dementia and mild cognitive impairment.  Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019:CD013282. 

Beishon L, Minhas JS, Patrick K, Shanmugam I, Williams CAL, Panerai RB, Robinson TG, Haunton VJ. The Effects of Healthy Ageing on Cerebral Blood Flow Responses to Cognitive Testing.   Curr Aging Sci. 2019;11(4):226-235

Beishon LC, Panerai RB, Robinson TG, Subramaniam H, Haunton VJ. The Assessment of Cerebrovascular Response to a Language Task from the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination in Cognitive Impairment: A Feasibility Functional Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography Study. J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2018; 28; 2(1):153-164. 

Barnes SC, Ball N, Haunton VJ, Robinson TG, Panerai RB.  How many squat-stand manoeuvres to assess dynamic cerebral autoregulation?  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2018; 118(11):2377-2384.

Hanby M, Panerai R, Robinson T, Haunton V.  Is Vasomotor Reactivity impaired in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease?  Clin Auton Res. 2017; 27(2): 107-111.

I have previously supervised three intercalated BSc degrees, an intercalated MSc, a MREs, and three PhDs to completion.  I have ongoing supervisory responsibility for a further PhD student and an MD student.
Previous topic areas have included cerebral haemodynamics in healthy ageing, stroke, and neurodegeneration, squat-stand physiology, blood pressure variability, frailty and cognitive impairment in vascular disease, and a feasibility study of brain training in dementia.

At Leicester University I was a course tutor for the MBChB Phase 1 communication skills programme and examined regularly for the MBChB primary intermediate and final professional examinations. Additionally I held an honorary lecturer contract with De Montfort University teaching undergraduate speech and language therapists on the neurology of old age.

I have clinical expertise in Parkinson's disease and geriatric medicine.

I am vice-chair of the British Geriatrics Society Movement Disorders Section and a member of the UK Parkinson’s Excellence Network Evidence Based Practice Group.
I am an associate editor for the leading journal Age and Ageing, and was the Ageing Specialty Lead for NIHR CRN East Midlands (South) between 2016 and 2021.
I peer review for various funding bodies, including the NIHR and Dunhill Medical Trust, and for multiple journals. 

I am a member of the following professional organisations:
British Geriatrics Society
The International Parkinson & Movement Disorder Society 
Cerebral Autoregulation Network (CARNet)

Invited lectures:

“Optimising BP control to prevent falls in Parkinson's disease”. BIAL national webinar. 22nd April 2021

“Blood pressure in Parkinson’s disease”. Cutting edge science national conference.  Neurology Academy, Sheffield, 20th Oct 2020

“Assessing and managing the falling Parkinson's patient''.  BIAL national webinar.  25th September 2020

“Blood pressure problems in Parkinson’s disease”, Parkinson’s disease Nurse Specialist Annual conference, Warwick, 17th Oct 2019

“Neurophysiological regulation of blood pressure in Parkinson’s”, BritMODIS Conference, Birmingham, UK.  26th Jan 2018

“An update on Parkinson’s disease”.  National Conference in Medicine for the Elderly, Leicester, UK.  28th June 2017

“Orthostatic hypotension in Parkinson’s Disease”, West Midlands Parkinson’s Excellence Network Conference, 17th May 2018

“An update on Parkinson’s disease”.  National Conference in Medicine for the Elderly, Leicester, UK.  28th June 2017

“Parkinson’s in the Emergency Department”.  Geriatric Emergency Medicine Conference, Leicester, UK.  24th May 2016

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2019 Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians (London) 
2013 Doctor of Medicine (MD), University of Leicester
2010 Speciality Certificate Examination in Geriatric Medicine
2008 Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) 
2008 RCP (London) Diploma in Geriatric Medicine
2004 Bachelor of Medicine (Pass with Distinction), University of Southampton, England, UK