Email: a.j.fisher@ncl.ac.uk

Research profile and key clinical specialties

I am Principal Investigator in the Regenerative Medicine and Transplantation Group in the Newcastle University Translational and Clinical Research Institute.

My work covers basic, translational and clinical studies into the aetiology, mechanisms, prognosis and therapeutics of inflammatory and fibrotic lung diseases.

Major research themes within my own group include pulmonary fibrosis and graft injury after lung transplantation.

I have a specific interest in the optimisation of donor lungs prior to transplantation using ex-vivo perfusion.
I am also an Honorary Consultant Respiratory and Transplant Physician, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Academic Director, Institute of Transplantation at the Freeman Hospital. I am Co-Director, NIHR Blood and Transplantation Research Unit and was Dean of Clinical Medicine from 2016 to 2021, responsible for oversight of entire clinical academic training pathway in Newcastle.

Two key publications

• The role of interleukin-1β as a predictive biomarker and potential therapeutic target during clinical ex vivo lung perfusion. Andreasson ASI, Borthwick LA, Gillespie C, Jiwa K, Scott J, Henderson P, Mayes J, Romano R, Roman M, Ali S, Fildes JE, Marczin N, Dark JH, Fisher AJ. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2017 Sep;36(9):985-995.
• Transcriptome analysis of IPF fibroblastic foci identifies key pathways involved in fibrogenesis. Guillotin D, Taylor AR, Platé M, Mercer PF, Edwards LM, Haggart R, Miele G, McAnulty RJ, Maher TM, Hynds RE, Jamal-Hanjani M, Marshall RP, Fisher AJ, Blanchard AD, Chambers RC. Thorax. 2021 Jan;76(1):73-82.

Possible PhD projects

• Real time assessment of donor lung function and injury and the effect of cell-based therapeutics in human donor lungs during normothermic ex-vivo perfusion.
• Assessing targeted anti-fibrotic therapeutics in human pulmonary fibrosis tissue using precision cut lung slices.

More Information

I have previously been or currently am supervisor of 15 MD/PhD students.

Keywords: Regenerative, transplantation, medicine, aetiology, mechanisms, therapeutics, inflammatory, fibrotic, fibrosis lung, pulmonary, Andrew, Fisher, Newcastle

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