Professor Tom Solomon, Head of the Brain Infections Group in the Institute of Infection and Global Health, will feature in the BBC’s coverage of the 2011 London Marathon this Sunday.
Tom ran the marathon last year to raise awareness and money for the Encephalitis Society, which supports and funds research into Encephalitis, a brain inflammation which is often caused by a virus.
To promote his cause, Tom created a YouTube video called ‘Running Mad Professor’ which sees him running furiously through various locations, apparently training for the big day.
In total he raised more than £20,000 for the Encephalitis Society and he was also awarded a Guinness World Record for the Fastest Marathon Dressed as a Doctor.
The short BBC feature, presented by Phil Jones, will look at how the money Tom raised has been spent. It follows the story of two Encephalitis patients: Darren, who developed the disease in his 30s and is still badly affected; and Cheryl, who developed it more recently and has therefore benefited from research at the University which aims to get people on the right treatment more quickly.
If you would like to make a donation to support Tom and the Encephalitis Society, visit: www.justgiving.com/RunningMadProf.