Christopher Stewart PhD

Christopher James Stewart is the Chair of Human Microbiome Research at Newcastle University. He gained his PhD in Microbial Ecology at Northumbria University in 2014, followed by postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Texas), before moving to Newcastle University in 2018. His research group studies how bacteria colonise infants from birth and how this impacts health and disease, with a special focus on infants born premature (before 32 weeks of gestation). He has received several prizes for his work, including a 2021 Lister Institute Research Prize and the 2022 Microbiology Society Fleming Prize.

Chris has worked closely with outreach organisations and in patient and public engagement. He is a part of the Medical Advisory Panel for NEC-UK, a national charity supporting families affected by a common disease of preterm infants called necrotising enterocolitis. He has also worked with the media across TV, radio, and written news.