Professor Ian Cook is the director of the St George Swallow Centre and GI Motility Service Department of Gastroentrology and Hepatology at St George Hospital and a Conjoint Professor at the St George and Sutherland Clinical School.

Research Interests:Physiology, pathophysiology and management of swallowing and its disorders. Evaluation of novel techniques to assess the biomechanics of the pharyngeal swallow (combined manometry & radiography, high resolution manometry, intraluminal impedance, scintigraphy). Novel approaches to evaluation and treatment of pharyngeal dysphagia. Predictors of outcome and implications for radiation dosimetry in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Therapeutic approaches to and novel biomechanical measures predicting outcome in oesophageal dysphagia due to achalasia, eosinophilic oesophagitis. Mechanisms of phonation and quality of oesophageal speech in patients following total laryngectomy. Studies of oesophageal afferent nerve function and reflexes and how these impact reflux disease and its complications including regurgitation and respiratory complications. Pathophysiology of oesophago-pharyngeal regurgitation. Pathophysiology of functional heartburn. Pathophysiology of constipation syndromes. Novel therapeutic approach to treatment of severe constipation (eg sacral nerve stimulation).

Broad Research Areas:Gastrointestinal Diseases, Dysphagia, Head and Neck Cancer, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Clinical Research

Qualifications: MB BS (Hons), MD (Syd), FRACP

Society Memberships & Professional Activities:
Gastroenterological Society of Australia (member), American Gastroenterological Association (member), International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (member & Pharyngo-esophageal research committee), International Dysphagia Research Society (President 2003), O.E.S.O. (Member of Permanent Scientific Committee)

Specific Research Keywords:Swallowing, Colon, Neurophysiology, Constipation, Dysphagia