Chris Stewart

Dr. Chris Stewart is a Research Fellow and Group Leader at Newcastle University's Faculty of Medical Sciences. His work focuses on microbiome research in neonatal and pediatric populations, particularly preterm infants, and extends to inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer in adults. He holds prestigious fellowships including the Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellowship and Lister Institute Prize Fellowship, supported by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. His research integrates multiomics approaches to study host-microbe interactions, emphasizing translational outcomes for clinical care.

Stewart's career began with postdoctoral training in the U.S. before joining Newcastle in 2018 as a Faculty Fellow. This scheme provided critical early-stage funding and mentorship, enabling him to secure external grants and establish an independent research group. His team investigates interventions like human milk fortification and probiotics, alongside microbiome-based therapeutics, to improve outcomes for preterm infants and patients with gastrointestinal disorders.

Key projects include the MIRACLS study (Microbiome in Intestinal Rehabilitation and Childhood Short Bowel Syndrome) and collaborations with the Royal Victoria Infirmary. His lab develops tools like organoid models to study microbial-host interactions under physiologic conditions. Recent advances include understanding how human milk oligosaccharides influence preterm gut microbiota and inflammation suppression.

• Research Themes: Neonatal microbiome development, microbiome-based therapies, inflammatory gut diseases.
• Grants: Wellcome Trust, Lister Institute, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.
• Clinical Collaborations: Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle University Hospitals.

Stewart mentors PhD students and postdocs exploring topics like gut-brain axis interactions and microbiome stability in fecal immunochemical tests. His work bridges basic science and clinical translation, aiming to address unmet needs in neonatal and pediatric gastrointestinal health.