Professor of Clinical and Experimental Neurosurgery. Name: Paul Brennan Category: Current staff Role: Professor of Clinical and Experimental Neurosurgery/Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon Time active with Edinburgh Medical School: 20 years Improving outcomes for people living with brain tumours lies at the heart of Paul’s work. As a clinical researcher, he is dedicated to offering tangible hope to patients and their families by advancing understanding of glioma, the most common primary brain tumour. His research investigates the cellular mechanisms that drive tumour initiation and progression, particularly the transformation of low-grade gliomas into more aggressive disease, with the aim of identifying novel and more effective therapies. His current clinical projects include developing targeted focal chemotherapy, exploring non-invasive diagnostic techniques such as cell-free tumour DNA and infrared spectroscopy, examining the causes of delayed diagnosis in adults, and analysing the characteristics of long-term glioma survivors in the UK. A triple graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Paul collaborates widely within and beyond the University to strengthen research in glioma biology. He also inspires philanthropic support from patients and families, generously giving his time to thank donors and share how their contributions are helping to drive meaningful progress. This article was published on 2026-03-11
