Richard Knight

Key facts

• Described by the University of Edinburgh as Professor of Clinical Neurology and now Emeritus Professor, with Edinburgh Medical School since 1996 and in the NHS since 1977.
• The university profile credits him with a foundational role in the UK CJD surveillance system from its inception.
• The 2023 NCJDRSU annual report lists him as Consultant Neurologist and Professor of Clinical Neurology, with Dr Colin Smith as Director of the unit.
• The same report states he chairs the Management Committee of the CJD Support Network and is a member of the CJD International Alliance of support organisations.
• Co-author of the 2012 Annals of Neurology CSF RT-QuIC study (with Green, Orru and Caughey) reporting 87 to 91 percent sensitivity and 98 to 100 percent specificity for sporadic CJD.
• Co-author of the 10-year multicentre CSF biomarker study (Brain 2012, with Zerr, Green, Ladogana, Pocchiari) and of the 2005 EuroCJD-linked mortality analysis across Europe, Australia and Canada.
• Co-author of the 2020 Lancet Neurology sporadic CJD genome-wide association study with Mead, Collinge, Zerr, Pocchiari, Parchi, Appleby and Collins, which found three risk loci.
• Co-author of a December 2025 Lancet Regional Health Europe model estimating future UK vCJD cases (48 percent chance of no further cases, mean 2.7 more under base assumptions).
• Co-author of July 2026 multidisciplinary palliative and supportive care recommendations for CJD and related disorders, listed with the National CJD Diagnostic and Advisory Service, Edinburgh.
• His 2023 publications include a Neuroradiology study finding FLAIR better than DWI for the vCJD pulvinar sign and a book chapter on treatment of prion disease and prion decontamination.
• In August 2025 the four UK Chief Medical Officers announced a National CJD Diagnostic Advisory Service at Edinburgh, joint referral with the National Prion Clinic, and CSF RT-QuIC through the Edinburgh national laboratory.
• As of the 27 May 2026 update, the Edinburgh CJD site lists only the RT-QuIC laboratory and pathology service and routes clinical advice to the National Prion Clinic; he is not named there.
• He gave a written statement to the UK Infected Blood Inquiry dated 18 April 2022, alongside a statement on behalf of the NCJDRSU.
• Search excerpts of that statement describe past service as Director of the UK National CJD Surveillance Unit and membership of SEAC and the ACDP TSE subgroup (unconfirmed from document text).

Timeline

1. 1977Begins NHS medical career.
2. 1990UK national CJD surveillance begins in Edinburgh; he is involved from its early days.
3. 1996Joins Edinburgh Medical School.
4. 1999NCJDRSU becomes a WHO Collaborating Centre for human TSE surveillance.
5. 2005Co-author of the international CJD mortality study (Neurology).
6. 2012Co-author of the CSF RT-QuIC validation (Annals of Neurology) and the 10-year CSF biomarker study (Brain).
7. 2020Co-author of the international sporadic CJD GWAS (Lancet Neurology).
8. 2022Written statement to the Infected Blood Inquiry.
9. 2023Listed as Consultant Neurologist and Professor; Colin Smith is unit Director.
10. 2024Co-author of the enhanced surveillance in older people review (BMC Geriatrics).
11. 2025UK CMOs letter sets out the National CJD Diagnostic Advisory Service and NPC joint referral.
12. 2025Co-author of the UK vCJD future cases model.
13. 2026Edinburgh CJD site updated; RT-QuIC lab and pathology service continue, clinical advice via NPC.
14. 2026Co-author of palliative and supportive care recommendations (Age and Ageing).