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Ava Easton

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Ava Easton
NationalityBritish
Scientific career
FieldsEncephalitis, Acquired Brain Injury, Narrative medicine, Global Health, Patient and Public Involvement.
InstitutionsThe Encephalitis Society, The University of Liverpool Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology & Immunology
Thesis The Role of Written Narratives in the Recovery of People Affected by Encephalitis  (2014)
Doctoral advisorKarl Atkin

Ava Easton is a health scientist and researcher who specialises in encephalitis, acquired brain injury and narrative medicine, and is considered a world expert in her field of Encephalitis patient outcomes and quality of life.[1][2][3][4] She is the current Chief Executive of The Encephalitis Society,[5][3] a non-profit organisation which provides support and resources for those affected by the neurological disease of Encephalitis,[6][7][8] and collaborates with various organisations on research into the disease.[9][10][8][11]

Education

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Easton studied Applied Social Sciences at the Open University at the age of 33,[1] and went on to complete a PhD with the University of York in 2014, on the role of narratives in encephalitis recovery.[2][12][13]

Career

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Easton has been Chief Executive of the Encephalitis Society since 2011,[2] having begun work with them in 2000,[4] as Support Service Coordinator.[3] She was made an Honorary Fellow in the Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Liverpool in 2014.[1][2][14][13]

In 2014, Easton founded World Encephalitis Day,[15][16] a global awareness day to raise awareness of the condition, and provide resources and support to those affected.[3][17][18] In 2017, the charity won a Charity Times Award for Charity of the Year with an income of less than £1 million.[19][20][21] Also in 2014, 2017, and in 2019, Easton was awarded a Social CEO award, supported by The Guardian newspaper, marking her as one of the top 30 charity leaders on social media.[22][23] In 2019, World Encephalitis Day won a Third Sector Award for Communications Campaign of the Year,[24] and Easton was given a Charity Comms Inspiring Communicator Award.[3][25]

She is a member of the Global Forum on Neurology and COVID-19,[14] and has been Chair of the Patient, Public and Community Engagement and Involvement Panel, on the taskforce for the COVID-19 NeuroResearch Coalition, since 2020.[26][27] Additionally in 2020, Easton became a member of the Steering Committee for the National Surveillance Programme on Neurological Complications of COVID-19 (COVID-CNS).[28] She also forms part of the associated group CoroNerve,[29][30][31] and was also appointed as the Head of Patient and Public Involvement for the programme.[28][32] Further, Easton is the Chair of the Patient and Public Involvement Panel for the Brain Infections Research Group of the Global Health Network.[33] She is an Ambassador for the European Brain Council,[34] and a member of many other not-for-profit organisations, including the Royal Society of Medicine, the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, the American Academy of Neurology, and the European Academy of Neurology.[35][36]

Easton also lectures at the University of Glasgow School of Medicine,[37] and the University of Liverpool Brain Infections Group,[32] as well as a consultant for media on encephalitis and brain injuries, most recently for the UK television program Hollyoaks on Channel 4.[38][39]

Research and publications

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Easton's research is primarily focused around the neurological disease of Encephalitis,[40][41][42] but she also works within the broader realms of neurology,[43][44] the non-profit sector,[10][45][46] healthcare outcomes[47][48] and patient engagement.[49][50][45] She has contributed extensively into work on the epidemiology of Encephalitis,[51][52] including its causes, clinical manifestation and disease management.[40][53][54][55] Her work particularly concerns improving patient outcomes,[48] looking at the recovery and rehabilitation process of those with acquired brain injuries.[47] As well as researching the physical and cognitive effects of the condition,[56] she also explores the social impacts on survivors[47][50] and their relatives and caregivers,[57][58][59] with a focus on improving research into the disease and enhancing patients' quality of care and support available.[45][46]

Her specialist field of research concerns the role that personal experience-based accounts of acquired brain injuries can play in advancing knowledge of such conditions, a concept referred to as "neuro-narratives."[41][60][61] Easton's first book, 'Life After Encephalitis' was published by Psychology Press in 2016.[41] The book documents the journeys of affected people, and featuring accounts from survivors and memoirs from bereaved relatives.[41][62][63] Easton explores the ways in which their accounts can aid professionals in deepening their understanding of the disease, and be used to inform care and support provided to those affected.[41][63]

Recently, she has also been involved in research across the broader field of neurology, including studies into the neurological effects of COVID-19.[14][31][64][65]

Her work has been published in The Lancet,[10][58][66] The Journal of Neurology,[67] BMJ,[68] Nursing Standard,[40][69] Clinical Medicine[54] the British Journal of Hospital Medicine,[42] the Journal of Infection,[70][71] Social Science & Medicine[50] and the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.[28][31]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Ava Easton". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  2. ^ a b c d "Life After Encephalitis". University of York. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Inspiring Communicator Awards 2019". CharityComms. 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  4. ^ a b Long, Marianne (2021-07-26). "Spotlight On: Dr Ava Easton, Chief Executive of the Encephalitis Society". Magazine for Ryedale and York - Advertising, News, Information. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  5. ^ "Dr Ava Easton". The Encephalitis Society. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  6. ^ "Our vision". The Encephalitis Society. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  7. ^ "Encephalitis - Complications". nhs.uk. 2018-10-03. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  8. ^ a b "The Encephalitis Society". Brain Injury Group. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  9. ^ "Research Summary". The Encephalitis Society. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  10. ^ a b c Easton, Ava (2016-04-01). "Encephalitis: raising awareness and collaborating in research". The Lancet Neurology. 15 (4): 353. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(16)00059-4. ISSN 1474-4422. PMID 26906966.
  11. ^ "Liverpool leads new national encephalitis study - Articles - Research - University of Liverpool". www.liverpool.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  12. ^ Easton, Ava (January 2014). "The Role of Written Narratives in the Recovery of People Affected by Encephalitis". PhD for the University of York.
  13. ^ a b "Malton charity chief honoured". York Press. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  14. ^ a b c Beghi, Ettore; Michael, Benedict D.; Solomon, Tom; Westenberg, Erica; Winkler, Andrea S. (2021). "Approaches to Understanding COVID-19 and its Neurological Associations". Annals of Neurology. 89 (6): 1059–1067. doi:10.1002/ana.26076. ISSN 1531-8249. PMC 8250622. PMID 33836104.
  15. ^ "World Encephalitis Day". The Encephalitis Society. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  16. ^ Morgan, Jules (March 2017). "Encephalitis: time to understand". The Lancet Neurology. 16 (3): 188. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(16)30393-3. ISSN 1474-4422.
  17. ^ "Charity launches new awareness campaign". York Press. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  18. ^ Easton, Ava; Michael, Benedict D (March 2021). "An extraordinary World Encephalitis Day". The Lancet Neurology. 20 (3): 172. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(21)00040-5. PMC 7906729. PMID 33609471.
  19. ^ "Charity Times Awards". www.charitytimes.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  20. ^ "Charity Times Awards 2017". Charity Times. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  21. ^ "Congratulations to all 2017 Charity Times Awards Winners!". CharityJob. 2017-10-09. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  22. ^ "Social CEO award for Ava". The Encephalitis Society. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  23. ^ "2017's winners |". Social CEOs. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  24. ^ "Third Sector Awards 2019: Communications Campaign of the Year - Encephalitis Society for World Encephalitis Day 2019". www.thirdsector.co.uk. September 19, 2019. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  25. ^ "Charity chief is honoured for her work". Gazette & Herald. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  26. ^ "New global programme to target COVID-19 neurological disease - Articles - Coronavirus (COVID-19) - University of Liverpool". www.liverpool.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  27. ^ Beghi, Ettore; Michael, Benedict D.; Solomon, Tom; Westenberg, Erica; Winkler, Andrea S.; Global COVID‐19 Neuro Research Coalition; Beghi, Ettore; Michael, Benedict D.; Solomon, Tom; Westenberg, Erica; Winkler, Andrea S. (June 2021). "Approaches to Understanding COVID ‐19 and its Neurological Associations". Annals of Neurology. 89 (6): 1059–1067. doi:10.1002/ana.26076. ISSN 0364-5134. PMC 8250622. PMID 33836104.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ a b c Ellul, Mark; Varatharaj, Aravinthan; Nicholson, Timothy R.; Pollak, Thomas Arthur; Thomas, Naomi; Easton, Ava; Zandi, Michael S.; Manji, Hadi; Solomon, Tom; Carson, Alan; Turner, Martin R. (2020-08-01). "Defining causality in COVID-19 and neurological disorders". Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 91 (8): 811–812. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2020-323667. ISSN 0022-3050. PMC 7299654. PMID 32503883.
  29. ^ "CoroNerve". www.coronerve.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  30. ^ Glavin, Diarmuid; Kelly, Denise; Wood, Greta Karen; McCausland, Beth MS; Ellul, Mark Alexander; Varatharaj, Aravinthan; Galea, Ian; Thomas, Rhys Huw; Michael, Benedict Daniel; Gallen, Brian (September 2021). "COVID-19 Encephalitis with SARS-CoV-2 Detected in Cerebrospinal Fluid Presenting as a Stroke Mimic". Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases. 30 (9): 105915. doi:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105915. ISSN 1052-3057. PMC 8165128. PMID 34217071.
  31. ^ a b c Tooren, Harriett Van Den; Ellul, Mark A.; Davies, Nicholas WS; Easton, Ava; Vincent, Angela; Solomon, Tom; Michael, Benedict Daniel (2020-11-01). "Standing on the shoulders of giants: 100 years of neurology and epidemic infections". Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 91 (11): 1129–1131. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2020-324366. ISSN 0022-3050. PMC 7569382. PMID 32958721.
  32. ^ a b "Major new global brain infections project launched - Articles - Research - University of Liverpool". www.liverpool.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  33. ^ "Brain Infections Global UK Team". The Global Health Network. Archived from the original on 2021-07-28. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  34. ^ "EBC Ambassadors". European Brain Council. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  35. ^ "Full & Corresponding Members". ean.org. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  36. ^ "About Me". Ava Easton. Archived from the original on 2019-02-19. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  37. ^ Easton, Ava (2020). "Rabies – a deadly, devastating, and contrary disease". Emporiatrics. Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
  38. ^ "Hollyoaks and encephalitis". The Encephalitis Society. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  39. ^ "Hollyoaks storyline on encephalitis | The Children's Trust". www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  40. ^ a b c Matata, Claire; Easton, Ava (2014-11-24). "Managing patients with encephalitis". Nursing Standard. 30 (11): 50–60. doi:10.7748/ns.30.11.50.s47. PMID 26554998. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  41. ^ a b c d e Easton, Ava (2016). Easton, Ava (ed.). Life After Encephalitis | Taylor & Francis Group. Taylor & Francis. doi:10.4324/9781315726922. ISBN 9781315726922. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  42. ^ a b Frackowiak, Marta; Easton, Ava; Michael, Benedict D (2019-04-02). "Encephalitis". British Journal of Hospital Medicine. 80 (4): C50–C52. doi:10.12968/hmed.2019.80.4.C50. ISSN 1750-8460. PMID 30951422.
  43. ^ Varley, James; Easton, Ava (2020-07-01). "Navigating uncharted waters of neurology". The Lancet Neurology. 19 (7): 572. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(20)30114-9. ISSN 1474-4422. S2CID 219946888.
  44. ^ Ellul, Mark A.; Benjamin, Laura; Singh, Bhagteshwar; Lant, Suzannah; Michael, Benedict Daniel; Easton, Ava; Kneen, Rachel; Defres, Sylviane; Sejvar, Jim; Solomon, Tom (2020-09-01). "Neurological associations of COVID-19". The Lancet Neurology. 19 (9): 767–783. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(20)30221-0. ISSN 1474-4422. PMC 7332267. PMID 32622375.
  45. ^ a b c Easton, Ava; Atkin, Karl; Hare, Philippa (2007-08-01). "'A light in a very dark place': The role of a voluntary organisation providing support for those affected by encephalitis" (PDF). Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. 17 (4–5): 638–647. doi:10.1080/09602010601155205. ISSN 0960-2011. PMID 17676539. S2CID 37027235.
  46. ^ a b Easton, Ava (2018-04-01). "Increasing understanding of encephalitis". The Lancet Neurology. 17 (4): 301. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30077-2. ISSN 1474-4422. PMID 29477505. S2CID 5533178.
  47. ^ a b c Turtle, Lance; Easton, Ava; Defres, Sylviane; Ellul, Mark; Bovill, Begona; Hoyle, Jim; Jung, Agam; Lewthwaite, Penny; Solomon, Tom (2019). "'More than devastating'—patient experiences and neurological sequelae of Japanese encephalitis§". Journal of Travel Medicine. 26 (7). doi:10.1093/jtm/taz064. ISSN 1708-8305. PMC 6792067. PMID 31504712.
  48. ^ a b Yeshokumar, Anusha K.; Blum, Raia A.; Randell, Taylor; Jetté, Nathalie; Easton, Ava (2021-01-18). "Exploration of patient- and relative-reported outcomes of cognitive, emotional, and social function after encephalitis". Brain Injury. 35 (2): 255–263. doi:10.1080/02699052.2020.1865567. ISSN 0269-9052. PMID 33356613. S2CID 229694297.
  49. ^ Cooper, Jessie; Kierans, Ciara; Defres, Sylviane; Easton, Ava; Kneen, Rachel; Solomon, Tom (2016-03-09). "Diagnostic Pathways as Social and Participatory Practices: The Case of Herpes Simplex Encephalitis". PLOS ONE. 11 (3): e0151145. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1151145C. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151145. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4784735. PMID 26960197.
  50. ^ a b c Atkin, Karl; Stapley, Sally; Easton, Ava (2010-07-01). "No one listens to me, nobody believes me: Self management and the experience of living with encephalitis". Social Science & Medicine. 71 (2): 386–393. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.04.011. ISSN 0277-9536. PMID 20488605.
  51. ^ White, Steven; Easton, Ava (2008-03-01). "Encephalitis: The broader spectrum". British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing. 4 (3): 131–132. doi:10.12968/bjnn.2008.4.3.28816. ISSN 1747-0307.
  52. ^ Easton, Ava; Atkin, Karl; Dowell, Elaine (2006-12-01). "Encephalitis, a service orphan: The need for more research and access to neuropsychology". British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing. 2 (10): 488–492. doi:10.12968/bjnn.2006.2.10.22531. ISSN 1747-0307.
  53. ^ Binks, Sophie N. M.; Veldsman, Michele; Easton, Ava; Leite, M. Isabel; Okai, David; Husain, Masud; Irani, Sarosh R. (2021-05-01). "Residual Fatigue and Cognitive Deficits in Patients After Leucine-Rich Glioma-Inactivated 1 Antibody Encephalitis". JAMA Neurology. 78 (5): 617–619. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.0477. ISSN 2168-6149. PMC 8008400. PMID 33779685.
  54. ^ a b Ellul, Mark A.; Wood, Greta; Tooren, Harriet Van Den; Easton, Ava; Babu, Ashik; Michael, Benedict D. (2020-07-01). "Update on the diagnosis and management of autoimmune encephalitis". Clinical Medicine. 20 (4): 389–392. doi:10.7861/clinmed.2020-0241. ISSN 1470-2118. PMC 7385764. PMID 32675144.
  55. ^ Iro, M. A.; Sadarangani, M.; Absoud, M.; Chong, W. K.; Clark, C. A.; Easton, A.; Gray, V.; Kneen, R.; Lim, M.; Pike, M.; Solomon, T. (2016-11-01). "ImmunoglobuliN in the Treatment of Encephalitis (IgNiTE): protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial". BMJ Open. 6 (11): e012356. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012356. ISSN 2044-6055. PMC 5129051. PMID 27810972.
  56. ^ Binks, Sophie N. M.; Veldsman, Michele; Easton, Ava; Leite, M. Isabel; Okai, David; Husain, Masud; Irani, Sarosh R. (2021-05-01). "Residual Fatigue and Cognitive Deficits in Patients After Leucine-Rich Glioma-Inactivated 1 Antibody Encephalitis". JAMA Neurology. 78 (5): 617–619. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.0477. ISSN 2168-6157. PMC 8008400. PMID 33779685.
  57. ^ Lemon, Jennifer; Cooper, Jessie; Defres, Sylviane; Easton, Ava; Sadarangani, Manish; Griffiths, Michael J.; Pollard, Andrew J.; Solomon, Tom; Kneen, Rachel (2019-09-16). "Understanding parental perspectives on outcomes following paediatric encephalitis: A qualitative study". PLOS ONE. 14 (9): e0220042. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1420042L. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0220042. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6746349. PMID 31525232.
  58. ^ a b Easton, Ava (December 2016). "A sister's graceful tribute". The Lancet Neurology. 15 (13): 1312. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(16)30308-8. ISSN 1474-4422. S2CID 54431892.
  59. ^ Tomlinson, Amanda R.; Blum, Raia A.; Jetté, Nathalie; Kwon, Churl-Su; Easton, Ava; Yeshokumar, Anusha K. (July 2020). "Assessment of care transitions and caregiver burden in anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis". Epilepsy & Behavior. 108: 107066. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107066. ISSN 1525-5050. PMID 32375097. S2CID 218486355.
  60. ^ Easton, Ava; Atkin, Karl (2011-01-01). "Medicine and patient narratives". Social Care and Neurodisability. 2 (1): 33–41. doi:10.5042/scn.2011.0082. ISSN 2042-0919.
  61. ^ Morgan, Jules (2016-11-01). "Neuro-narrative contributions: the truth about encephalitis". The Lancet Neurology. 15 (12): 1212. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(16)30091-6. ISSN 1474-4422.
  62. ^ "Life after Encephalitis". The Encephalitis Society. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  63. ^ a b ""Life After Encephalitis" a new book by Dr. Ava Easton". Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance. 2016-03-16. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  64. ^ "Charity takes part in Covid-19 research". York Press. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  65. ^ Ross Russell, Amy L; Hardwick, Marc; et al. (1 July 2021). "Spectrum, risk factors and outcomes of neurological and psychiatric complications of COVID-19: a UK-wide cross-sectional surveillance study". Brain Communications. 3 (3): fcab168. doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcab168. PMC 8364668. PMID 34409289.
  66. ^ Easton, Ava (October 2017). "Keeping an open mind in neurological practice". The Lancet Neurology. 16 (10): 778. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(17)30215-6. ISSN 1474-4422.
  67. ^ Granerod, Julia; Davies, Nicholas W. S.; Ramanuj, Parashar P.; Easton, Ava; Brown, David W. G.; Thomas, Sara L. (2017-02-01). "Increased rates of sequelae post-encephalitis in individuals attending primary care practices in the United Kingdom: a population-based retrospective cohort study". Journal of Neurology. 264 (2): 407–415. doi:10.1007/s00415-016-8316-8. ISSN 1432-1459. PMID 27766471. S2CID 19816981.
  68. ^ Whitfield, Thomas; Fernandez, Cristina; Davies, Kelly; Defres, Sylviane; Griffiths, Michael; Hooper, Cory; Tangney, Rebecca; Burnside, Girvan; Hallas, Anna Rosala-; Moore, Perry; Das, Kumar (2021-07-01). "Protocol for DexEnceph: a randomised controlled trial of dexamethasone therapy in adults with herpes simplex virus encephalitis". BMJ Open. 11 (7): e041808. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041808. ISSN 2044-6055. PMC 8728349. PMID 34301646.
  69. ^ Easton, Ava (2017). "Encephalitis awareness". Nursing Standard. 31 (27): 30. doi:10.7748/ns.31.27.30.s32. PMID 28247785. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  70. ^ Solomon, T.; Michael, B. D.; Smith, P. E.; Sanderson, F.; Davies, N. W. S.; Hart, I. J.; Holland, M.; Easton, A.; Buckley, C.; Kneen, R.; Beeching, N. J. (2012-04-01). "Management of suspected viral encephalitis in adults – Association of British Neurologists and British Infection Association National Guidelines". Journal of Infection. 64 (4): 347–373. doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2011.11.014. ISSN 0163-4453. PMID 22120595.
  71. ^ Kneen, R.; Michael, B. D.; Menson, E.; Mehta, B.; Easton, A.; Hemingway, C.; Klapper, P. E.; Vincent, A.; Lim, M.; Carrol, E.; Solomon, T. (2012-05-01). "Management of suspected viral encephalitis in children – Association of British Neurologists and British Paediatric Allergy, Immunology and Infection Group National Guidelines". Journal of Infection. 64 (5): 449–477. doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2011.11.013. ISSN 0163-4453. PMID 22120594.
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