Dr Matt Steward

About me:

I am currently a Clinical PhD Fellow at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology within the Cook group, co-supervised by Professor Chris Scotton & Professor Michael Gibbons. My PhD looks at the question of why, despite the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus being inhaled by us all on a daily basis, only some people with a competent immune system develop respiratory disease as a result of this exposure.

Aspergillus is a potent inducer of allergic airway inflammation seen in conditions like asthma and bronchiectasis. My work focuses on using samples obtained by bronchoscopy from the ariways of these patients to look at the interactions between Aspergillus, innate immune cells such as macrophages, and the airway epithelium, and see how these vary in health and disease.

I am employing multi-parameter spectral flow cytometry, ex-vivo assays utilising fluorescence microscopy,  and the lung-on-a-chip microfluidics system. I am also establishing a bioresource of research samples (BALF, blood and sputum) from patients both for this work, and to enable further translational research in the South West.

Clinically, I am a Specialty Registrar in Respiratory Medicine & General Internal Medicine and also have an interest in Medical Education. I am currently a member of Council and the Science & Research Committee of the British Thoracic Society.