About
Dr Alwin Sebastian is a Consultant Rheumatologist at Bon Secours Hospital, Limerick, and the University of Limerick (UL) Hospitals Group. He specialises in general adult rheumatology and is internationally recognised as an expert in Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA), Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) and Large vessel vasculitis (LVV). His clinical interests include GCA, PMR and LVV, musculoskeletal ultrasound, and vascular imaging and diagnosis in rheumatology.
Dr Sebastian completed dual specialty training in Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine across Ireland and the United Kingdom. He subsequently undertook an international fellowship in Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica at Southend University Hospital, UK, under the mentorship of Professor Bhaskar Dasgupta. This fellowship was funded through the prestigious Bresnihan-Molloy Educational Fellowship Award from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI).
Alongside his clinical practice, Dr Sebastian serves as Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor A of Medicine at the University of Limerick and is a Visiting Lecturer on the First Contact Practitioners Musculoskeletal Master's Programme at the University of Essex, UK. He completed a PhD focused on Giant Cell Arteritis at the University of Essex and previously held the position of Honorary Research Fellow at Southend University Hospital. He is also a faculty member of the annual International GCA and PMR Workshops.
Dr Sebastian is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (FRCPI), a Member of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom (MRCP UK), and holds a master’s degree in Rheumatology with Merit from King's College London. He has also successfully completed the European Board of Rheumatology Certification Examination and is a European-certified Level 1 Musculoskeletal Sonographer.
A recognised leader in vasculitis research, Dr Sebastian was the Principal Investigator of the international HAS-GCA prospective observational study, which was adopted into the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) portfolio. He developed and first-authored the pre-test probability-based diagnostic algorithm for suspected Giant Cell Arteritis, a tool that is now widely used internationally to support early diagnosis and clinical decision-making.
Dr Sebastian has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and has presented extensively at national and international scientific meetings. In recognition of his significant contributions to vasculitis research, he was awarded the prestigious Paul Bacon Vasculitis Award by the British Society for Rheumatology in 2020.
He is committed to advancing rheumatology care in Ireland and is leading efforts to develop a dedicated fast-track service for patients with suspected Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica in the Mid-West region, facilitating rapid diagnosis and timely treatment.
