Profile

Philip Mitchelmore
Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer
Medical School Building
Medical School Building, St Luke's Campus, Magdalen Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
Overview
Phil qualified in medicine from the Royal Free and University College London medical school before commencing his training as a physician. After achieving his Membership of the Royal College of Physicians, he worked in Intensive Care Medicine in New Zealand before returning to the UK to commence his specialist training in Respiratory Medicine. Having taken a break from training to undertake a PhD, Phil completed his specialist training in Respiratory and General Medicine. He now works as a Consultant at the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital and is an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in the University of Exeter Medical School. His main areas of interest focus on chronic lung infections, particularly within the setting of bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis.
Qualifications
- MRCP (Resp Med) (Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board, 2020)
- PhD (University of Exeter, 2018)
- SCE, Respiratory Medicine (Royal College of Physicians, 2014)
- MRCP (Royal College of Physicians, 2009)
- MBBS (University College London, 2005)
- BSc (University College London, 2002)
Research group links
Research
Research interests
After commencing specialty training in Respiratory Medicine, Phil developed a clinical interest in Cystic Fibrosis and Bronchiectasis. This expanded to a research interest as he undertook a PhD using molecular microbiological techniques to investigate bacteria in the lungs of these patients. This included investigating for cross-infection by a notorious bacteria via sequencing techniques and assessing microbial communities in the context of clinical disease. Phil continues to research these conditions with a focus on infection and an increased focus on antimicrobial resistance. He has a grant to investigate the resistome in respiratory patients and has been part of the GW4 Crucible Cohort (Interdisciplinary Approaches to Tackling AMR). Via the GW4 Crucible programme he has a further seed corn grant to look in to a novel antimicrobial approach in cystic fibrosis in collaboration with other early career researchers in Bath, Bristol and Cardiff.
Phil was a Co-investigator on a COVID-19 vaccine trial (Novavax) and is currently the local PI for NIHR BioResource – Rare Diseases Study (CF) and ASPEN study. He has contributed to the British Thoracic Society's advice on managing patients with bronchiectasis in the endemic phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID vaccination guidance for healthcare professionals.
Research projects
- Precision Maggot Therapy Against Key Cystic Fibrosis Pathogens
- Impact of long-term azithromycin therapy on the resistome of patients and their partners
- Rapid profiling of the bacterial community in the bronchiectatic lung
- Haemophilus influenzae cross-infection in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis
- Bronchiectasis Exacerbation Assessment of Treatment (BEAT)
- Citizen Phage Library
Research networks
College of Medicine and Health, Univeristy of Exeter
- Dr Chris Scotton
Biosciences, University of Exeter:
- Dr Alan Brown, Prof Ben Temperton, Dr Steve Michell and Dr Julie Fletcher
Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital:
- Dr Nick Withers, Dr Chris Sheldon, Dr Tom Burden and Prof Michael Gibbons
Torbay Hospital:
- Dr Louise Anning
MRC CCM, University of Exeter:
- Prof Adilia Warris, Dr Peter Cook and Elliott Mahoney
Cardiff University
- Dr Rebecca Weiser
University of Bath:
- Dr Neil Brown and Dr Maisem Laabei
University of Bristol:
- Dr Jon Tyrell
PRISM SW (Pulmonary Research Inter-Site Matrix South West)
Research grants
- 2021 Torbay Medical Research Fund
Bronchiectasis Exacerbation Assessment of Treatment (BEAT) - 2021 Exeter Research Capacity Fund
Mechanistic evaluation of the impacts of hypertonic saline in COPD in the MucAct Randomised Controlled Trial - 2020 Northcott Devon Medical Foundation
Analysis of the resistomes of long-term azithromycin users with chronic respiratory disease and their partners - 2020 GW4
Precision Maggot Therapy Against Key Cystic Fibrosis Pathogens - 2014 Exeter Trustees/RD
Genetic typing of Pseudomonas strains in non-CF Bronchiectasis
External Engagement and Impact
Committee/panel activities
Current
- Inaugural Co-chair and current Consultant Lead for PRISM South West (Pulmonary Research Inter-Site Matrix)
- Phage-UK Clinical Group
Past
- Member of the Specialist Advisory Group for Pulmonary Infection (British Thoracic Society)
- Member of the guideline group for long-term macrolide use (British Thoracic Society)
- Working group for Hospital-acquired pneumonia (Public Health England)
Evidence of impact on policy and professional practice
British Thoracic Society Documents
- BTS Guidance: COVID-19 Vaccination – information for health care professionals
- British Thoracic Society Advice for Managing Patients with Bronchiectasis in the endemic phase of the COVID-19 pandemic
- British Thoracic Society guideline for the use of long-term macrolides in adults with respiratory disease
Invited lectures
- “Characterisation and management of the lung microbiome in Bronchiectasis”- Exeter Expert Series- Respiratory (Practical Genomics with a Clinical Perspective)
- Delivered Bronchiectasis Training days to South-West Trainees
- "Setting up a respiratory trainee network in the South-West"- NIHR CRSL Annual Summit (Peninsula)
Teaching
Phil provides clinical teaching to undergraduate medical students within the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital setting