Dr Ian Woodcock

CLINICAL INTERESTS
Dr Ian Woodcock has interests in all aspects of paediatric neurology such as headache, tics, migraine and epilepsy, but has particular clinical and research interests in genetic conditions affecting nerves and muscles known as neuromuscular disorders.

BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
Ian has been a consultant paediatrician since 2015 but rather than take up a post in the UK moved to Australia to work as a neurology advanced trainee at the Royal Children’s Hospital until he completed his neurology fellowship in August 2018.

Ian undertook his undergraduate and post-graduate training in the UK, qualifying in Medicine from the University of Manchester in 2005 before starting his paediatric training in Yorkshire in 2007. He has gained extensive experience in very busy paediatric departments with the UK National Health Service and has experience in all aspects of general paediatrics. After 18 months of working within a paediatric neurology department in the UK, during which time he achieved a Masters in Child Health from the University of Leeds, Ian knew that he wanted to focus on Paediatric Neurology. However, he decided to complete his General Paediatric training first in order to have a “more rounded and holistic” approach to the child.

Ian and his family moved to Melbourne in January 2015 to take up a role as a Paediatric Neurology Fellow at the RCH and has been employed there since. Ian’s UK general paediatric qualifications have been recognised by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and he became a Fellow of the RACP in February 2017. Ian completed his neurology training in 2018 and has been working as a consultant neurologist at the Royal Children’s hospital since February 2019.

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Ian has extensive research interests within the field of paediatric neurology and in particular in Neuromuscular disorders. Ian is currently working through a PhD at the University of Melbourne. Ian has extensive experience as an investigator in multiple large-scale international industry-sponsored drug trials, including breakthrough drug trials in Spinal Muscular Atrophy and well as local investigator-initiated clinical trials. Ian has a specific interest in advance therapeutics including genetic therapies. Ian has been involved in treating patients using gene therapy and is due to be the principle investigator in upcoming gene therapy clinical trials.