Acting Lead Physiologist (Neurophysiology) & Clinical Scientist

NHS Lothian

Ruth Brotherstone has been working as a Clinical Physiologist (Neurophysiology) in NHS Lothian for 34 years. Throughout that time, she has balanced a clinical, an educational and research interest as continually as possible. Ruth performs a wide range of clinical investigation in the supporting diagnosis of epilepsy, nerve entrapment or disease in children and adults. Increasingly, her time is in theatre monitoring spinal and cranial nerve function during surgeries to protect the spinal cord or cranial nerves from damage and provide real time guidance to surgeons. Ruth is the Acting Lead Physiologist in Edinburgh and manages 16 Physiologists over three hospital sites. Ruth is a National Examiner in England and Scotland with two separate educational systems. Ruth has had one research question that she has pursued throughout her career and that is developing reliable seizure detection. Ruth developed a novel algorithm from one of the strands of her PhD and studied possible cardiologic intrinsic factors which may contribute to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. Edinburgh & Lothian Health Foundation funded the development of two prototype devices for adult and paediatric cohorts. Ruth’s aim is to develop a reliable seizure detection device to alert family and community responders for timely assistance.

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