BSc (1st class Hons) MBBS PhD FRCP (UK)

1999 - present - Consultant Gastroenterologist, University College Hospital NHS Trust, and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Laser Medicine at the National Medical Laser Centre .

1996-1999 Specialist Registrar: North Thames.1996-1998 Open University Business School’s Diploma in Professional Management Course.

1993-1996 MRC Research Fellow, Hammersmith Hospital.

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma is rapidly rising in incidence and is now the fifth commonest cause of cancer mortality in the UK. Most cases arise within Barrett's oesophagus. Dr Lovat's research programme focuses on the development of optical diagnostic and therapeutic tools for managing Barrett's oesophagus. Currently, there are three main goals:-

• Elastic scattering spectroscopy ('optical biopsy') for diagnosing dysplasia in Barrett's. He is exploring whether this technique can be used to detect other markers of malignant progression, such as aneuploidy. He has won a major NIH grant to develop this tool as part of an NIH funded Network for Translational Research into Optical Imaging.
• Photodynamic therapy (PDT) to treat high grade dysplasia in Barrett's. He has developed a large tertiary referral base and has treated over 100 patients in phase 1 and 2 trials. He has secured funding to support allied laboratory research.
• Optical pharmacokinetics using elastic scattering to monitor photodynamic therapy in Barrett's oesophagus.

In collaboration with Dr Rebecca Fitzgerald at the MRC Cancer Cell Unit in Cambridge, Dr Lovat is enrolling patients who develop cancer into the “Stomach and Oesophageal Cancer Study ” which looks at lifestyle predictors of cancer development and is collecting a large blood bank from these patients to study later.

Dr Lovat is also involved in allied research projects within the National Medical Laser Centre which include expanding the role of optical biopsy in the GI tract (colon) and to other organ systems (breast, skin, lung, mouth, etc) and photodynamic therapy for the mouth, prostate, pancreas, biliary system and lung.

Most recent publications

• Lasers

Dhar A., Johnson K.S., Novelli M.R., Bown S.G., Lovat L.B., Bloom S.L. (2006) Optical biopsy of colonic lesions: comparison of elastic scattering spectroscopy with histology. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy; 63: 258-62.

Lovat L.B., Jamieson N.F., Novelli M.R., Mosse A., Selvasekar C., Thorpe S., Bown S.G. (2005) Photodynamic therapy with mTHPC for high grade dysplasia and early cancer in Barrett’s columnar lined oesophagus. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy; 62: 617-623.

N.G. Mathou, L.B. Lovat, S.M. Thorpe, S.G. Bown. (2004) Nd:YAG laser induced long term remission in transfusion-dependent patients with watermelon stomach. Laser Med Sci.; 18: 213-8.

Lovat L.B., Bown S.G. Elastic Scattering Spectroscopy for Detection of Dysplasia in Barrett’s Esophagus. (2004) In: van Dam J, ed. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Clinics of North America: optical biopsy. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 14 (3): 507-517.

Lovat L. Optical biopsy and medical therapy for dysplasia in Barrett’s oesophagus. (2004) In: Photodynamic Therapy; Applications in Gastroenterology and Pulmonology. Eds: Hopper C., Barr H. RSM International Congress and Symposium Series 255, pp 23-29.

Bigio I.J., Bown S.G., Lovat L.B., Ripley P.M., Novelli M. Optical biopsy for the diagnosis of dysplasia in Barrett's Oesophagus. 2002 in Diagnostic Optical Spectroscopy in Biomedicine (Papazoglou TG, Wagnieres eds). pp 179-185.

Shepherd H., Roseveare C.D., Bown S., Lovat L. Palliative treatment In: Guidelines for the management of oesophageal and gastric cancer. (2002) Eds: Allum W.H., Griffin S.M., Watson A., Colin-Jones D. (on behalf of AUGIS and BSG). Gut; 50 (suppl 5) v14-v17.

Spencer G.M., Thorpe S.M., Blackman G.M., Solano J., Tobias, J.S., Lovat L.B., Bown S.G. Laser augmented by brachytherapy versus laser alone in the palliation of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and cardia: a randomised study. (2002) Gut; 50: 224-227.

Bown S.G., Rogowska A.Z., Whitelaw D.E., Lees W.R., Lovat L.B., Ripley P.M., Jones L., Gillams A., Russell R.C.G., Hatfield A.W.R. (2002) Photodynamic therapy for cancer of the pancreas. Gut; 50: 549-557.

Pickard D., Bigio I.J., Bown S.G., Lovat L.B., Ripley P.M., Novelli M. (2002) Optical biopsy for the diagnosis of dysplasia in Barrett's oesophagus. P Soc Photo-Opt Ins3 (5): 234-243.

Lovat L.B., Bown S.G. Lasers in Gastroenterology. (2001) World J Gastroenterol; 15: 317-323.

Bown S.G., Lovat L.B. The biology of photodynamic therapy in the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Clin. N. Am. (2000); 10: 533-550.

• Barrett's oesophagus and gastroesophageal reflux disease

Lovat L.B., Johnson K., Mackenzie G.D., Clark B.R., Novelli M.R., Davies S., O'Donovan M., Selvasekar C., Thorpe S.M., Pickard C.D.O., Fitzgerald, R.C., Fearn T., Bigio I.J., Bown S.G. (2006) Elastic scattering spectroscopy accurately detects high grade dysplasia and cancer in Barrett's oesophagus. Gut; 55: 1078-83.

Lao-Sirieix P., Lovat L.B., Fitzgerald R.C. Cyclin A immunocytology as a risk stratification tool in Barrett’s oesophagus surveillance Clin Cancer Res; 2007;13: 659-665.

Abdalla S., Lao-Sirieix P., Novelli M., Lovat L.B., Fitzgerald R.C. (2004) Relationship of COX-2 expression to gastrin and cell differentiation status in Barrett’s esophagus and associated carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res; 10: 4784-92.

Lao-Sirieix P., Brais R.J., Lovat L.B., Coleman N., Fitzgerald R.C. (2004) Cell cycle phase abnormalities do not account for disordered proliferation in Barrett’s carcinogenesis Neoplasia; 6: 751-760.

Lovat L.B. Talking to Patients about Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. (2003) ePrescriber.

• Other

Gillmore J.D., Lovat L.B., Persey M.R., Pepys M.B., Hawkins P.N. Amyloid load and clinical outcome in AA amyloidosis in relation to circulating concentration of serum amyloid A protein. (2001) Lancet; 358: 24-29.

Pepys M.B., Herbert J., Hutchinson W.L., Tennent G.A., Lachmann H.J., Gallimore J.R., Lovat L.B., Barfati T., Alanine A., Hertel C., Hoffmann T., Jakob-Roetne R., Norcross R.D., Kemp J.A., Yamamura K., Suzuki M., Taylor G.W., Murray S., Thompson D., Purvis A., Kolstoe S., Wood S.P., Hawkins P.N. Targeted pharmacological depletion of serum amyloid P component for treatment of human amyloidosis. (2002) Nature; 416: 254-9.

Attached files

• Complete publications list (pdf).

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This page last modified 31 March, 2009 by Faith Hanstater.