Dr Hassan Fadavi

About me:

Dr Hassan Fadavi is a Lecturer (Education and Research) in the Department of Medical Imaging at the University of Exeter. In addition to his teaching role, he is a Research Fellow actively involved in several clinical research projects, including studies on rare diseases, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, as well as AI-based pilot studies exploring novel diagnostic approaches.

Dr Fadavi is a qualified General Practitioner (GP) with a strong academic and research background. He earned his MD degree in Iran, where he developed a solid foundation in clinical medicine, before completing his PhD at the University of Manchester. His doctoral research focused on diabetic complications, particularly peripheral neuropathy and microvascular dysfunction in diabetes.

Dr Fadavi conducted extensive investigations into the mechanisms underlying diabetic neuropathy and microvascular damage. His work combined clinical neurological assessments with advanced laboratory techniques, including punch skin biopsies analysed using light and electron microscopy. This integrated morphometric and immunohistological approach provided a detailed understanding of nerve and vascular pathology in diabetic patients.

Following his PhD, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on several national and international clinical and translational research projects. His studies explored nerve structure and function in peripheral neuropathy, with the overarching aim of improving patient outcomes and quality of life for people living with diabetes.

Before joining the University of Exeter, Dr Fadavi worked at Imperial College London, contributing to a Diabetes UK–funded randomised clinical trial. The study investigated the effects of a novel therapy — the Capsaicin 8% Patch — on nerve regeneration in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy.

Research interests:

Small fibre neuropathies and pain assessment

Microvascular complications of diabetes

Biomarkers of nerve regeneration

Skin biopsy and quantitative morphometric analysis

Application of AI in neuroimaging and clinical diagnostics

Qualifications:

• MD
• PhD