Donal Skelly

Donal Skelly is a NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Neurology at the Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation within the University of Oxford. He also serves as a Neurology Registrar, bridging clinical practice and academic research.

• BA in Psychology, University College Dublin
• PhD in Neuroscience and Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin
• BM BCh in Medicine, University of Oxford
• MRCP (Member of the Royal College of Physicians)

His research explores the bidirectional interaction between the immune system and the diseased brain, with applications to neurodegenerative conditions, delirium, and age-related immune dysfunction. This work spans neuroimmunology, autoimmune neurological disorders, and translational clinical research.

Recent publications highlight his focus on neuroimmunological mechanisms in IgLON5-antibody disease, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination responses in immunosuppressed patients, and systematic reviews of NMDAR-antibody encephalitis in pregnancy. These span themes in neurology, immunology, and clinical outcomes research.

He has received funding from prestigious sources including the Academy of Medical Sciences, the University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division, and the Oxford Health Services Research Committee.

His work is conducted within the Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation, a multidisciplinary hub investigating immune-brain interactions in neurological disease.