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Staff Profile

Professor Alastair Burt

Prof of Precision & Molecular Pathology

  • Email: alastair.burt@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 7084
  • Address: Translational and Clinical Research Institute
    Room M4.143
    4th Floor, William Leech Building
    Faculty of Medical Sciences
    Newcastle University
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE2 4HH
Background
I was born in Dunfermline, Scotland and am a graduate of the University of Glasgow where I obtained a BSc in Pathology with first class Honours in 1979, MBChB with commendation in 1981 and MD with Honours and the Bellahouston medal in 1991.  I completed postgraduate training in surgical pathology in Glasgow under the tutelage of Professor Sir Roddy MacSween. I then moved to Newcastle University to become Senior Lecturer in Pathology and Honorary Consultant Histopathologist. I was promoted to a personal Chair in Hepatopathology in 1995 and then the established Chair of Pathology in 1998.  I became Dean of Clinical Medicine in 2005.  

In January 2013, I took up the post of Dean of Medicine at the University of Adelaide.  The following year, I became Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.  I maintain a strong research interest in liver disease and am Editor in Chief of the principal international text book on hepatopathology, MacSween's Pathology of the Liver, now into its 7th edition.  In addition, I was Editor in Chief of the peer reviewed journal, Histopathology for 7 years. I have > 20000 citations and an H index of 71.

At the beginning of March 2019, I completed my term of office as Executive Dean at the University of Adelaide. I was appointed Emeritus Professor and continue to supervise PhD students there. Since returning to the UK, I have undertaken consultancy work for pharmaceutical companies but was delighted to have been appointed to the new and exciting post of Professor of Precision and Molecular Pathology at Newcastle University from 1st November 2019.

I am now Director of NovoPath (MRC/EPSRC Molecular Pathology Node) and Theme Lead for Precision Medicine, Genomics and Informatics. In addition I am Vice Chair of the Innovation Board of Integrated Covid Hub North East.

Qualifications: BSc (Hons), MBChB (Commendation), MD (Hons), FRCPath, FRCPA, FRCP, FRSB, FAcadMEd, FAHMS

Research

Research Interests

I have a lonstanding interest in the pathogenesis of liver fibrogenesis and was one of the first to identify a central role for hepatic stellate cells. I have also explored the significance of the ductular reaction and epithelial mesenchymal transition in liver disease. My research has also had a strong translational component. I was the sole histopathologist on an international group that developed the ELF test which is now widely used internationally as a surrogate marker for liver fibrosis and hold two patents for this invention.


In recent years I have been particularly focussed on mechanisms and assessment of fatty liver disease, having been a lead for the development of the SAF histological scoring system and have played a key role in large EU programs on fatty liver disease (FLIP and LITMUS). I continue to have an interest in immune phenomena in autoimmune cholangiopathy and allograft rejection.

I am passionate about the development of precision diagnostics and in particular with the application of computational imaging (using endoscopic images and scanned histology) with deep learning to provide predictive data particularly as applied to gastrointestinal and liver diseases and have been working with a number of large corporate partners to develop new tools for prognostication and stratification for clinical trials in NAFLD. My intestate in AI has recently further broadened with a contribution to a NIHR funded study on polypharmacy and mutimorbidity.

Teaching
Since returning to Newcastle University I have had relatively little teaching load but have now contributed to the MBBS program on Precision Medicine and supervised two and co-supervised one Stage 3 BSc Honours students in 2021 on animal models in NAFLD and the application of histological assessments in analysing the value of these as equivalents of human disease.
Publications