Dr Sylviane Defres is a consultant in infectious diseases in the Tropical Infectious Diseases Unit in Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust (LUHFT) where she co-leads the neurological infection clinical service as a collaboration with Walton Neuroscience NHS Trust receiving referrals nationally and internationally. She is also honorary senior clinical lecturer in the University of Liverpool, with roles in the Liverpool Brain Infections group having led national studies on encephalitis, including ENCEPH-UK, a programme of interrelated studies aiming to understand and improve the outcomes of encephalitis, NAME, (National Audit Project on Management of Encephalitis) and collaborated on national meningitis guidelines, the national audit of management of meningitis (NAMM) and DEX ENCEPH, a randomised control trial on the use of steroids in HSV encephalitis. She is also principal investigator on these in LUHFT as well as a number of other CNS related studies and the P2 study (RCT on a probiotic to prevent travelers diarrhoea) in the Well Travel Clinic and Chief investigator on a brain abscess study in the regional centre. She regularly teaches both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, being Training Programme Director for infectious diseases regionally, speciality lead and Electives Chair in the School of Medicine (UoL) and Director of Studies for clinical masters programmes in LSTM. Also develops annual and biannual courses with colleagues from the brain infections group UoL, namely the Neurological infection course and ESCMID related course which have included zoonoses, vector borne infections and encephalitis. She is on guideline writing groups in the UK and in Europe including, meningitis, encephalitis, eosinophilia in returning travelers and working with collegues in LHSTM to develop national guidance on management of schistosomiasis in returning travellers and migrants.
She is a member of the ESCMID Brain Infections Study Group and the Study Group for Travelers and Migrants. Main interests include neurological infections, TB, HIV and travel related infections.
Main interests include neurological infections, TB, HIV and travel related infections.
Current studies include study on Brain abscesses, TB meningitis, RCT of steroids in HSV encephalitis (DEX ENCEPH), RCT of probiotics in travelers diarrhoea (P2 Study), and COVID CNS
Teaching
Sylviane is the Director of studies for Masters of Tropical and Infectious diseases. Lead for the clinical arm of MRES and teaches on the Diploma of Tropical Nursing and Diploma Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Further relevant expertise, professional memberships, awards
Fellowship Royal College of Physicians
Member RCPE
Writing Group RCPATH (Royal College of Pathologist) FRCPATH part 1 exam
Member of BSAC KAW (British Society Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Keep Antibiotics Working) development of consensus guidance on antimicrobial stewardship for undergraduate curriculum
Member BIA (British Infection Association)
Member of ESCMID (European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious diseases)
Member of ESGIB and ESGITM , ESCMID Study groups on Brain Infections and infections in travelers and migrants
UK representative to UEMS infectious diseases arm (European union of medical specialists) on exam writing group also)