Contact
Biography
Stewart Martin studied in Glasgow for a BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology (1984) before obtaining an MSc in Radiation Biophysics from the University of St Andrews (1986). He conducted research at the Gray Laboratory (now the Gray Cancer Institute) in London, obtaining his PhD in Radiation Biology from St Bartholomew's Medical College, University of London (1990). After postdoctoral research at Colorado State University (with Prof Mort Elkind), and Columbia University, New York (with Prof Eric Hall), he returned to the UK to take up a post at the University of Nottingham, Department of Clinical Oncology. He was appointed as a lecturer in 1997, obtained a PGCAP (from the University of Nottingham) in 2000, was promoted to Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor then to Associate Professor/Reader. He has been Professor of Cancer and Radiation Biology since 2016.
Stewart set up an MSc course in Oncology in 1997, at the University of Nottingham, and was the course director from its inception until 2012; he also heads the Translational & Radiation Biology Research (TRBR) Group at the University of Nottingham that was awarded 'Research team of the year, 2012' by the Breast Cancer Campaign. The TRBR group runs a cabinet irradiation facility (X-rays) as a central resource that is available to internal or external users interested in conducting radiation biology research. In 2017 Stewart initiated the Nottingham Breast Cancer Research Centre (NBCRC) and is its current Director.
His current research interests focus in three main areas: REDOX metabolism in cancer; lymphatic cell biology/cancer metastasis and radiation biology.
Recent topics of attention are:
- The mechanism of action of novel anticancer agents for the treatment of breast, brain and ovarian cancer;
- Redox regulation in breast, brain and ovarian cancer;
- The calpain and calpastatin system;
- Regulation of lymphovascular invasion and metastasis in cancer;
- Drug-Radiation interactions; and
- Prognostic and predictive biomarkers in cancer.
Stewart collaborates with a number of research groups, academic and industrial, in the UK and across the EU and North America as well as with groups locally in Nottingham. He has published various research articles and book chapters and edited 'Methods in Molecular Medicine: Angiogenesis Protocols' (Humana Press), that was published in 2009, with the third edition published in 2016. He was Senior Editor (Radiobiology), from 2016-2021, for the British Journal of Radiology (having acted as an Associate Editor 2010-2015).
Stewart is a current member of The Open University's Life and Biomolecular Sciences Research Degree Management Group (from February 2003), is a Trustee of the LH Gray Memorial Trust (2016-2022) and is a member of the Department of Health and Social Care's expert committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) (2019-2025).
He was a member, and Secretary, of the British Institute of Radiology's Radiation and Cancer Biology Committee (2002-2012) and served as member of the executive committee of the British Association for Cancer Research 2001-2007, as well as its Treasurer (2002-2007). He was member of the Scientific Advisory Board/ Grants Committee of Breast Cancer Now (Jan 2016-Nov 2019) and was a member of the advisory committee for Breast Cancer Campaign (2007-2012). He served as member of Senate of the University of Nottingham 2001-2004 and was a member of Trent Regional Oncology Education Committee (1998-2012). He was a member (2008-2014) of the Examining Board of the Royal College of Radiologists (Faculty of Clinical Oncology, First FRCR examination) and was a member of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Clinical and Translational Radiotherapy Research Working Group (CTRad) - Workstream 1 (Science Base) June 2012 - June 2017 and continues as a general member (2018 - current).
Stewart is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB), and of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath). He was awarded Honorary membership of the Royal College of Radiologists (Hon MRCR) in 2015.
He has examined over 58 PhD dissertations and conducted vivas at various institutes around the UK and overseas. He was an external examiner to the MSc in Cancer Therapeutics at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London (2009 - 2012), the MRes in Oncology at the University of Manchester (2010 - 2013), the MSc programs in Molecular Medicine, and Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research at Brunel University London (2012 - 2017), the MSc in Cancer at University College London (2013 - 2017), the MSc(Res) in Translational Oncology at the University of Sheffield (2017 - 2021), and the MSc in Radiation Biology at the University of Oxford (2018 - 2022). He was also external examiner to the Undergraduate Direct Entry Medicine Degree Programme at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)/Dublin (Sept 2019 - Sept 2022). Stewart has also evaluated a number of MSc programs at the University of Liverpool and University of Sheffield.
He has organised various national and international research meetings and conferences on topics such as the tumour microenvironment, angiogenesis, advances in radiobiology/radiotherapy and Redox systems in health and disease.
Expertise Summary
Breast Cancer; Ovarian Cancer; Pancreatic Cancer; Brain Cancer (Glioblastoma)
Experimental Cancer Biology - In vitro Cell and Molecular Biology;
Immunohistochemistry and Histopathology
Radiotherapy & Radiation Biology
Chemotherapy and Drug Interactions (Drug-Radiation Interactions)
Lymphatic Biology - Cancer Metastasis
Calpains & Calpastatin
Research Summary
Research interest falls into three main areas: REDOX metabolism in cancer; Lymphatic cell biology/cancer metastasis and Radiation Biology.
Recent topics of attention are:
- The mechanism of action of novel anticancer agents for the treatment of breast, brain (Glioblastoma), ovarian and pancreatic cancer;
- Prognostic and predictive biomarkers (radiotherapeutic and chemotherapeutic response);
- Lymphatic dissemination in breast cancer and melanoma.
- Mechanism of action of novel anticancer agents (redox homeostasis modulators) for the treatment of breast, brain, ovarian and pancreatic cancer (2D and 3D in vitro models using normal and malignant epithelial cells);
- Interactions between novel anticancer agents and radiation (pre-clinical in vitro radiation biology)
- The calpain and calpastatin system;
- Regulation of lymphovascular invasion and metastasis in cancer (characterisation of novel genes; role of inflammatory factors and macrophage in regulating tumour metastasis);
Selected Publications
STORR, SARAH J, CARRAGHER, NEIL O, FRAME, MARGARET C, PARR, TIM and MARTIN, STEWART G, 2011. The calpain system and cancer. Nature reviews. Cancer. 11(5), 364-74 STORR, S. J., WOOLSTON, C. M., BARROS, F. F., GREEN, A. R., SHEHATA, M., CHAN, S. Y., ELLIS, I. O. and MARTIN, S. G., 2011. Calpain-1 expression is associated with relapse-free survival in breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab following adjuvant chemotherapy: Int J Cancer Int J Cancer. 129(7), 1773-80 MOHAMMED, R.A.A., MARTIN, S.G., MAHMMOD, A.M., MACMILLAN, R.D., GREEN, A.R., PAISH, E.C. and ELLIS, I.O., 2011. Objective assessment of lymphatic and blood vascular invasion in lymph node-negative breast carcinoma: findings from a large case series with long-term follow-up The Journal of pathology: a journal of the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. 223(3), 358-365 MOHAMMED, R.A., ELLIS, I.O., ELSHEIKH, S., PAISH, E.C. and MARTIN, S.G., 2009. Lymphatic and angiogenic characteristics in breast cancer: morphometric analysis and prognostic implications. Breast Cancer Res Treat.. 113(2), 261-273
Past Research
Radiation-induced mutagenesis (Colorado State University, USA) and oncogenesis (Columbia University, New York). Vascular Biology / Tumour Angiogenesis (University of Nottingham).
Future Research
Translational Cancer Research,
Angiogenesis,
Lymphangiogenesis and Cancer Metastasis,
Redox Metabolism,
Radiation Biology,
Characerisation of Novel Anticancer Agents,
Combinational Therapies (Drug-Radiation Interactions)
Calpains & Calpastatin.