Nicholas Dowell

Nicholas Dowell is Associate Professor in Imaging Physics (Clinical Neuroscience) at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), based at the Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre (CISC). He is a member of the MRI Physics group and holds an active research and teaching profile in quantitative MRI and clinical neuroscience.

His educational background includes a PhD in Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy from the University of Exeter (2004), following undergraduate studies in Chemistry at the same institution.

Dr Dowell's research focuses on developing and applying advanced MRI techniques to study aging, dementia, inflammation, and neurological conditions like Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. His work emphasizes non-invasive biomarkers derived from diffusion MRI, quantitative magnetization transfer, and MR pulse sequence design. Key research themes include blood-brain barrier integrity, neuroimmunometabolism, and functional hyperactivity in APOE ε4 carriers.

The recent publications (2021–2025) reflect a strong trend in neuroimaging applications to neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions, with increasing focus on the intersection of immunity, metabolism, and brain function. His work spans technical MRI development and clinical translation, particularly in aging, HIV-related depression, joint hypermobility syndromes, and early Alzheimer’s pathology.

Scientific recognition includes being a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has received competitive research funding from Alzheimer’s Research UK and the BBSRC.

Dr Dowell is actively involved in teaching, delivering modules on Academic Skills, Quantitative MRI, Matlab programming, functional MRI, and clinical imaging physics. He supervises research but no specific students are listed. His research is conducted within the Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, a multidisciplinary team focused on advancing MRI for clinical applications.