Dr Stewart, who was also recently awarded a Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellowship in the Translational and Clinical Research Institute, will receive £250,000 to support his research for five years into microbiome and host responses in human health and disease

Stem cell development

With the Lister Prize fund, he will engineer and test new models systems that incorporate stem cell derived “mini guts” from across the life course, with a particular focus on those from babies born prematurely. Understanding more about the interaction between diet, microbe, and host will be critical for developing new and effective therapies for preterm infants.

Dr Stewart said: “I am incredibly grateful and could not be happier to have been awarded the 2021 Lister Institute Research Prize.

“At this stage of my career to receive such a prestigious award in recognition of my research means so much to me. It is ultimately a reflection of all the many individuals who have supported and encouraged me over the years.

“I am excited to interact the other Lister Institute Research Prize Fellows past and present, which will provide an invaluable network for me as I continue to build my research group.

“I am also delighted the funds will provide support to employ technical assistance in my lab and greatly help to drive forward novel and exciting elements of work, allowing me to build upon my researched focused on reducing disease in preterm infants.”

Lister Institute Research Prize Fellowship

The Fellowships are one-off awards which help to support and nurture future leaders in biomedical research. These awards are for those in the early stages of their career.

Dr Stewart was part of a rigorous application process which placed him in competition with many young career researchers from across the country. Up to seven prizes are given each year following a written application process and subsequent interview with members of the Lister Institute’s Scientific Advisory Committee.

Professor John Iredale, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee, who leads the task of deciding who wins the Lister Institute Research Prize, said: “Despite all of the challenges that the current pandemic has made to our young researchers, we had a large number of extremely high-quality applications.”