Arthur Disegna

I obtained my medical degree from the University of Brasília, in 2019, during which I researched artificial intelligence to diagnose complications of pituitary disorders. As a doctor, I worked as an Intensive Care Clinical Fellow in Brazilian private hospitals throughout the pandemic before moving to Oxford for my DPhil (PhD).

The theme of my research is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Specifically, I am looking at how injury to blood vessels in the Brain is followed by blood changes that worsen the clinical course of patients.

Along with collaborators from the University of Cambridge, we introduced MARVLE-TBI. This study employs locally developed AI-powered resonance techniques to identify foci of vascular injury and intra-cerebral bleeding in vivo with an unprecedentedly high resolution. We also perform ex-vivo functional analysis on circulatory mediators to identify targetable mediators of inflammation and clotting derangement.

Additionally, I also conduct analyses of large patient cohorts to understand how transfusion practices affect patients with TBI, to inform clinical practice.

I am a member of Brasenose College (University of Oxford), where I also serve as a Junior Dean and was awarded Senior Hulme Scholar status in recognition of "outstanding achievement" as a DPhil student. I am part of leadership development initiatives such as Oxford's Global Leadership Initiative (GLI), and, externally, the Líderes community, a highly competitive fellowship aimed at Brazilian nationals with “a potential to impact their country and the world”.

My supervisors are Prof. Simon Stanworth and Dr. Nicola Curry at the RDM and Dr. Richard Siviter at the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit. My degree is funded by the NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit. I hold project grants from the British Journal of Anaesthesia, Brain Research UK and the Oxfordshire Hospitals Charity. We collaborate closely with other groups nationally and internationally.