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School of Molecular Medical Sciences
   
   
  
 

Stewart Martin

Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

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Biography

Research interest falls into three main areas:REDOX metabolism in cancer; Lymphatic cell biology/cancer metastasis and Radiation Biology.

Recent topics of attention include: · Prognostic and predictive biomarkers (radiotherapeutic and chemotherapeutic response; lymphatic dissemination) in breast cancer, ovarian cancer and melanoma. · Mechanism of action of novel anticancer agents (redox homeostasis modulators) for the treatment of ovarian, breast and colorectal cancer (2D and 3 D in vitro models using normal and malignant epithelial cells); · Interactions between novel anticancer agents and radiation (pre-clinical in vitro radiation biology) · Regulation of lymphovascular invasion (characterisation of novel genes; role of inflammatory factors and macrophage in regulating tumour cell adhesion, haplotaxis and endothelial transmigration) · The calpain and calpastatin system in cancer

Expertise Summary

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 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in 2004. Dr Martin set up an MSc course in Oncology in 1997 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. 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.

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 ovarian, breast and colorectal cancer; Redox regulation in ovarian, breast and colorectal cancer; The calpain and calpastatin system; Regulation of lymphovascular invasion and metastasis in cancer; Molecular characterisation of leukocyte and tumour cell adhesion to, and intravasation across, lymphatic and vascular endothelium; Inflammatory regulation of lymphatic cell biology; and Prognostic significance and involvement of angio- and lymphangiogenesis in the pathophysiology and radiation response of breast cancer. Dr Martin collaborates with a number of research groups, academic and industrial, in the UK and across the EU and USA 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 II' (Humana Press), that was published in 2009. He is a member of the Cancer Research at Nottingham Centre (CRN).

Dr Martin was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Breast Cancer Campaign (2007-2012), 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 served as member of Senate of the University of Nottingham 2001-2004 and was a member of Trent Regional Oncology Education Committee (1998-2012). Dr Martin is a current member of The Open University's Life and Biomolecular Sciences Research Degree Management Group (from February 2003), is a member (from October 2008) of the Examining Board of the Royal College of Radiologists (Faculty of Clinical Oncology, First FRCR examination) and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

Dr Martin has acted as an external PhD examiner at various institutes around the UK and is the current external examiner to the MSc in Cancer Therapeutics at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London (2009-current), and the MRes in Oncology at University of Manchester (2010 - current). He is an Associate Editor (Radiobiology) for the British Journal of Radiology and has organised various national and international research meetings and conferences on topics such as tumour angiogenesis, advances in radiobiology/radiotherapy and redox systems in health and disease.

Research Summary

Current research interests focus 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 ovarian, breast and colorectal cancer;
  • The calpain and calpastatin system;
  • Redox regulation in ovarian, breast and colorectal cancer;
  • Regulation of lymphovascular invasion and metastasis in cancer;
  • Molecular characterisation of leukocyte and tumour cell adhesion to, and intravasation across, lymphatic and vascular endothelium;
  • Inflammatory regulation of lymphatic cell biology; and
  • Prognostic significance and involvement of angio- and lymphangiogenesis in the pathophysiology and radiation response of breast cancer.

Selected Publications

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, Endothelial Adhesion Molecules.

School of Molecular Medical Sciences

Queen's Medical Centre
University of Nottingham
Nottingham NG7 2UH

telephone: +44 (0) 115 823 0771
fax: +44 (0) 115 823 0759
email: mol-enquiries@nottingham.ac.uk