Pawel Swietach

Pawel Swietach is Professor of Physiology at the University of Oxford, Head of the Proton Transport Group (DPAG), and Handa Tutorial Fellow at Corpus Christi College. His work bridges cardiac physiology, cancer pH biology, and blood oxygen transport, with a focus on acid-base regulation and its therapeutic implications.

• PhD in Physiology (Oxford, 2004)
• First Class BA in Physiological Sciences (Oxford, 2001)

His research uncovers how pH gradients govern cell function in heart and cancer, including:

• Proton-calcium crosstalk in cardiomyocytes
• Metabolic adaptation to acidosis in tumors
• Biochemical control of oxygen release in stored blood

His 15 most recent publications (2020-2025) span Nature Reviews Cancer, Nature Cardiovascular Research, and Cell Reports, focusing on acid-driven oncogenesis, histone modifications from propionate metabolism, and novel methods for imaging oxygen transport. Key findings include tumor-stroma acid exchange via gap junctions and nuclear pH's role in cardiac gene expression.

Honors include:

• ERC Consolidator Grant (2017)
• Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2008-2016)
• CRUK-U.S. Fulbright Scholar (2018)
• Academia Europaea membership (2024)

He leads cross-disciplinary projects funded by British Heart Foundation, ERC, MRC, and industry partners, translating pH biology into clinical tools like FlowScore for blood storage quality assessment.