Alastair is a Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Melbourne, where he heads the Immunopharmacology Laboratory.  He holds BSc Hons (1980) and PhD (1984) degrees from the University of Melbourne. His research interests focus on inflammation and tissue remodelling in asthma and pulmonary fibrosis.  He has secured research contracts from major pharmaceutical companies, including GSK and Australian biotech companies, including AMRAD and Progen.  In 2001 he co-founded Cryptopharma, a company involved in discovery and development of new anti-inflammatory drugs and served as its CEO from 2001-2006.  His basic research has been funded by peer-reviewed grants from NHMRC, NHF, ACCV and charitable trusts including the Asthma Foundation of Victoria.  He periodically consults to major Pharma and Biotech companies. He has over 150 published scientific articles including peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, review articles and granted patents.  Dr Stewart currently serves on the scientific advisory committees of the Bernard O'Brien Institute and the Woolcock Institute and has served on NHMRC grant review discipline panels (2000-2002; 2007-08).  He is a former member of the Council and Executive of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ), chairing the Education and Research subcommittee.  He also serves on the editorial boards of several international journals. He joined the board of Research Australia in 2008.  His laboratory has a strong track record of Graduate Research Training and he maintains wide interests in research, research training and research support structures.

Selected Recent Publications

Konopka, TE, Barker, JB, Bamford, TL, Guida, E, Anderson, RL, Stewart, AG. (2001).  Nitric oxide synthase II gene disruption: implications for tumour growth and vascular endothelial growth factor production.  Cancer Research 61:3182-3187.

Hughes, R.A., Harris, T., Altmann, E., McAllister, D., Vlahos, R., Robertson, A., Cushman, M., Wang, Z. & Stewart, A.G. (2002).  2-methoxyestradiol and analogues as novel anti-proliferative agents: analysis of three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships for DNA synthesis inhibition and estrogen receptor binding.  Molecular Pharmacology 61:1-17.

Hirst, S.J., Martin, J.G., Bonacci, JV., Chan, V., Fixman, E.D., Hamid, Q., Herszberg, B., Lavoie, J-P., McVicker, C.G., Moir, L.M., Nguyen, T.T., Peng, Q., Ramos-Barbon, D., &   Stewart, AG. (2004).  Proliferative aspects of airway smooth muscle.  Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 114: S2-S17.

Stewart, A.G., (2004).  Editorial.  Emigration and immigration of mesenchymal cells: a multicultural airway wall.  Eur. J. Respir. Dis. 24; 1-3.

Tran, T., Fernandes, D.J., Schuliga, M., Harris, T., Landells, L. & Stewart, A.G. (2005).  Stimulus-dependent glucocorticoid-resistance of GM-CSF production in human cultured airway smooth muscle.  British journal of Pharmacology, 145, 123-131.

Sutherland, T.E., Schuliga, M., Harris, T., Eckhardt, B.L., Anderson, R.A., Quan, L., & Stewart, A.G. (2005).  2-methoxyestradiol is an estrogen receptor agonist that supports tumor growth in murine xenograft models of breast cancer.  Clinical Cancer Research 11:1722-1732.

Bonacci JV, Schuliga M, Harris T, Stewart AG. (2006).  Collagen impairs glucocorticoid actions in airway smooth muscle through integrin signalling. Br J Pharmacol;149(4):365-73.

Shepherd, M.C., Harris, T., Schuliga, M., Neylon, C.B. Brightling, C, Bradding, P. & Stewart, A.G. (2007).  Intermediate conductance calcium-activated potassium channels are expressed in human airway smooth muscle cells and regulate proliferation.  Am J Resp Cell Mol Biol 37(5):525-31.

Ward, J.E., Harris, T., Bamford, T.L., Mast, A., Pain, M.C.F., Robertson, C.F., Smallwood, D., Tran, T., & Stewart, A.G. (2008).  Cytokine production is increased but proliferation is reduced in airway fibroblasts from asthmatics.  Eur Resp J 32(2):362-71.
Tara E. Sutherland, Robin L. Anderson, Richard A. Hughes, Emile Altmann, Michael        Schuliga, James Ziogas & Alastair G. Stewart.  2-Methoxyestradiol - a unique   blend of activities generates a new class of anti-tumour/anti-inflammatory   agents.  Drug Discovery Today, 12: 577-584.

Itinerary

8 Dec              Division of Infection, Inflammation and Repair, School of Medicine, University of Southampton

9 Dec              William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London Medical School, London

10 Dec            Division of Therapeutics & Molecular Medicine, University Hospital Nottingham

10 Dec            Department Medicine, University Leicester

11 Dec            Department Medicine, University of Glasgow

14 Dec            National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London

15 Dec            Sackler Institute of Pulmonary Pharmacology, Kings College, London

15-17 Dec       British Pharmacological Society Meeting, London

18 Dec             GSK, Stevenage