Prof Alastair Watson
Clinical Professor Honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals
| Job Title | Contact | Location |
|---|---|---|
|
Clinical Professor
Honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals |
Alastair dot Watson at uea dot ac dot uk
Tel: +44 (0)1603 59 7266 |
Elizabeth Fry Building 2.14 |
Career
Professional Qualifications and professional memberships
| 1977 | B.A. (Hons) Cambridge, Medical Science1980 M.B. B.S. London University 1983 M.R.C.P. |
| 1989 | M.D. Cambridge University |
| 1999 | F.R.C.P. |
| 2003 | F.R.C.P. Edinburgh |
Research interests
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Colorectal Cancer
- Apoptosis
- Epithelial barrier function and cell shedding
Career summary
Studied medicine at the Universities of Cambridge (Corpus Christi College) and London (St Thomas’ Hospital). Qualified in 1980. After junior posts in London, Edinburgh and Stoke on Trent became medical registrar in the King’s Liver Unit with Roger Williams. In 1985 became a research fellow with Michael Farthing in St Bartholomew’s hospital, London. In 1989 obtained a Medical Doctorate on the absorption of short chain fatty acids. Became a post-doctoral fellow with Mark Donowitz and Chip Montrose at Johns Hopkins Medical School (1988-90). In 1990 won a Senior Research Fellow Award from the American Gastroenterology Association and an award for outstanding accomplishment in Postdoctoral Research from the American Physiological Society. Returned to the University of Manchester in 1991 to work with Lord Turnberg on apoptosis in the GI epithelium. In 1992 was awarded The Sir Francis Avery Jones British Society of Gastroenterology Research Medal. Appointed Professor of Medicine at the University of Liverpool in 1998 where he served a number of senior administrative posts including Head of the Division of Gastroenterology and Head of the Department of Medicine. He was an Associate Editor of GUT (2003 – 04) then its Deputy Editor (2005 – 2007). He currently serves on the Council of the British Society of Gastroenterology and in 2010 was appointed as its first Secretary of International Affairs. In 2010 he was appointed the University of East Anglia as its first Professor of Translational Medicine.
Key Research Interests
Figure 1 A group of shedding cells from human small intestine imaged by confocal endomicroscopy
Figure 2 A cell undergoing shedding from the human small intestine. H & E staining.
Figure 3. An epithelial gap in the mouse small intestine. Nuclei are stained with Hoechst 33258 and cytosol with green fluorescent protein. The side panels show z-axis reconstructions of the x and y planes of the main image.
I am also interested in wnt signalling and the early stages of the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer and have identified in humans a number of targets of wnt signalling.
Selected publications
D Moussata, M Goetz, A Gloeckner, M Kerner, B Campbell, A Hoffman, S Biesterfeld, B Flourie, JC Saurin, PR Galle, MF Neurath, *AJM Watson, *R Kiesslich. Confocal laser endomicroscopy is a new imaging modality for recognition of intramucosal bacteria in IBD in vivo. Gut 2011;60:26-33. AJMW corresponding author and joint senior authorA. Marchando, Shen L, Graham WV, Edelblum KL, Duckworth CA, Guan Y, Montrose MH, Turner JR, Watson AJM. The epithelial barrier is maintained by in vivo tight junction expansion during pathologic intestinal epithelial shedding. Gastroenterology 2011 (In press).
Watson AJM, Duckworth CA. Gut microbiota control gut permeability through GLP2. Gastroenterology 2010;138(2):779-81.
Watson A.J.M. The new “connexin” to the pathogenesis of E.coli diarrhoea. Gut 2010;59:154-155.
Watson A.J.M., Collins PD. Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease with genetically engineered bacteria. Gastroenterology 2010;139:685-687.
Watson A.J.M., Collins PD. Colon cancer: A civilization disorder. Falk Symposium 176 Digestive Diseases 2011 (In press).
Watson A.J.M. Tremelling M. Mucosal gene expression signatures that predict response of Ulcerative Colitis to Infliximab. Gastroenterology 2011 Feb;140(2):729-31
Marchiando AM, Shen L, Graham WV, Weber CR, Schwarz BT, Austin JR, Guan Y, Watson AJM, Montrose MH, and Turner JR. Caveolin-1-dependent occludin endocytosis is required for TNF-induced tight junction regulation in vivo. Journal of Cell Biology 2010;189(1):111-26.
Heidi K Baumgartner, Julia V Gerasimenko, Christopher Thorne, Pawel Ferdek, Tullio Pozzan, Alexei V Tepikin, Ole H Petersen, Robert Sutton, Alastair J. M. Watson, Oleg V. Gerasimenko.Calcium elevation in mitochondria is the main Ca2+ requirement for mPTP opening. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2009;284(31):20796-803.
Ralf Kiesslich, Martin Goetz, Elizabeth M. Angus, Qiuping Hu, Yanfang Guan, Chris Potten, Terry Allen, Markus F. Neurath, Noah F. Shroyer, Marshall H. Montrose, Alastair J.M. Watson. Identification of epithelial gaps in human small and large intestine by confocal endomicroscopy. Gastroenterology 2007;133:1769-78.
Alice.J Walmesley, Jehad Zweiri, Stephen E. Christmas, Alastair.J.M Watson. Rofecoxib has different effects on chemokine production in colorectal cancer cells and tumour immune splenocytes. Journal of Immunotherapy 2007;6:614-623.
Alice.J Walmesley, Jehad Zweiri, Stephen E. Christmas, Alastair.J.M Watson. Rofecoxib has different effects on chemokine production in colorectal cancer cells and tumour immune splenocytes. Journal of Immunotherapy 2007;6:614-623.
Bach SP, Williamson SE, O'Dwyer ST, Potten CS, Watson AJM. Regional localisation of p53-independent apoptosis determines toxicity to 5-fluorouracil and pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate in the murine gut. British Journal of Cancer 2006; 95: 35-41.
Bullen TF, Forrest S, Campbell F, Dodson AR, Hershman MJ, Pritchard DM, Turner JR, Montrose MH, Watson AJM. Characterization of epithelial cell shedding from human small intestine. Lab Invest. 2006 Oct;86(10):1052-63.
Dekker B, Keen H, Lyons S, Disley L, Hastings D, Reader A, Ottewell P, Watson AJM and Zweit J. MBP-Annexin V Radiolabelled Directly with Iodine-124 can be used to Image Apoptosis In Vivo using PET. Nuclear Medicine and Biology 2005; 32:241-252.
Alastair J.M. Watson, Shaoyou Chu, Leah Sieck, Oleg Gerasimenko, Tim Bullen, Fiona Campbell, Michael McKenna, Tracy Rose, and Marshall H. Montrose. Epithelial barrier function in vivo is sustained despite gaps in epithelial layers. Gastroenterology 2005;129:902-912.
Gerasimenko JV, Gerasimenko OV, Palejwala A, Tepikin AV, Petersen OH, Watson AJM. Menadione-induced apoptosis: roles of cytosolic Ca2+ elevations and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. J Cell Science 2002:115;485-497.
Marshman E, Ottewell P.D. Potten C.S. and Watson A.J.M. Caspase activation during spontaneous and radiation-induced apoptosis in the murine intestine. J Pathol 2001;195:285-292
Teaching Interests
Article
Watson, AJ (2011) Effect of neonatal nutrition on long-term barrier function and gut inflammation. Gastroenterology, 141 (5). pp. 1939-1941.
Watson, AJ and Hart, AR (2011) Environmental risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease: microbes, diet, and the appendix. Gastroenterology, 141 (2). pp. 768-770.
Guan, Y, Watson, AJ, Marchiando, AM, Bradford, E, Shen, L, Turner, JR and Montrose, MH (2011) Redistribution of the tight junction protein ZO-1 during physiological shedding of mouse intestinal epithelial cells. American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology, 300 (6). C1404-C1414.
Marchiando, AM, Shen, L, Graham, WV, Edelblum, KL, Duckworth, CA, Guan, Y, Montrose, MH, Turner, JR and Watson, AJ (2011) The epithelial barrier is maintained by in vivo tight junction expansion during pathologic intestinal epithelial shedding. Gastroenterology, 140 (4). pp. 1208-1218.
Watson, AJ and Tremelling, M (2011) Mucosal gene expression signatures that predict response of ulcerative colitis to infliximab. Gastroenterology, 140 (2). pp. 729-731.
Moussata, D, Goetz, M, Gloeckner, A, Kerner, M, Campbell, B, Hoffman, A, Biesterfeld, B, Flourie, B, Saurin, JC, Galle, PR, Neurath, MF, Watson, AJM and Kiesslich, R (2011) Confocal laser endomicroscopy is a new imaging modality for recognition of intramucosal bacteria in IBD in vivo. Gut, 60 (1). pp. 26-33.
Duckworth, CA and Watson, AJ (2011) Analysis of epithelial cell shedding and gaps in the intestinal epithelium. Methods in Molecular Biology, 763. pp. 105-114.
Watson, AJ and Collins, PD (2011) Colon cancer: a civilization disorder. Digestive Diseases, 29 (2). pp. 222-228.
Watson, AJM and Collins, PD (2010) Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease with genetically engineered bacteria. Gastroenterology, 139 (2). pp. 685-687.
Marchiando, AM, Shen, L, Graham, WV, Weber, CR, Schwarz, BT, Austin, JR, Raleigh, David R, Guan, Y, Watson, AJM, Montrose, MH and Turner, JR (2010) Caveolin-1-dependent occludin endocytosis is required for TNF-induced tight junction regulation in vivo. Journal of Cell Biology, 189 (1). pp. 111-126.
Watson, AJM (2010) The new "connexin" to the pathogenesis of E. Coli diarrhoea. Gut, 59. pp. 154-155.
Watson, AJM and Duckworth, CA (2010) GUT microbiota control gut permeability through GLP2. Gastroenterology, 138 (2). pp. 779-781.
Davies, J, Burkitt, MD and Watson, AJM (2009) Ascending cholangitis presenting with Lactococcus lactis cremoris bacteraemia: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports, 3 (3).
Baumgartner, HK, Garasimenk, JV, Thorne, C, Ferdek, P, Pozzan, T, Tepiken, AV, Petersen, OH, Sutton, R, Watson, Alastair JM and Gerasimenko, OV (2009) Calcium elevation in mitochondria is the main Ca2+ requirement for mPTP opening. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 284 (31). pp. 20796-20803.
Watson, AJM, Duckworth, CA, Guan, Y and Montrose, MH (2009) Mechanisms of epithelial cell shedding in the mammalian intestine and maintenance of barrier function. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1165. pp. 135-142.
Colombel, JF, Watson, AJM and Neurath, MF (2008) The 10 Remaining Mysteries of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Gut, 57 (4). pp. 429-433.
Leiper, K, Martin, K, Ellis, A, Watson, AJM, Morris, AI and Rhodes, JM (2008) Placebo controlled trial of clarithromycin in active Crohn's disease. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 27 (12). pp. 1233-1239.
Baumgartner, H. K., Gerasimenko, J. V., Thorne, C., Ashurst, L. H., Barrow, S. L., Chvanov, M. A., Gillies, S., Criddle, D. N., Tepikin, A. V., Petersen, O. H., Sutton, R., Watson, Alastair J. M. and Gerasimenko, O. V. (2007) Caspase-8-mediated apoptosis induced by oxidative stress is independent of the intrinsic pathway and dependent on cathepsins. AJP: Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 293 (1). G296-G307. ISSN 0193-1857
Collins, PD and Watson, AJM (2007) Colonoscopic withdrawal times and adenoma detection during screening colonoscopy. Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 4. pp. 428-429.
KIESSLICH, R, GOETZ, M, ANGUS, E, HU, Q, GUAN, Y, POTTEN, C, ALLEN, T, NEURATH, M, SHROYER, N, MONTROSE, M and WATSON, Alastair JM (2007) Identification of Epithelial Gaps in Human Small and Large Intestine by Confocal Endomicroscopy. Gastroenterology, 133 (6). pp. 1769-1778. ISSN 00165085
Tweedle, EM, Rooney, PS and Watson, AJM (2007) Screening for rectal cancer - will it improve cure rates? Clinical Oncology, 19. pp. 631-648.
Walmesley, Alice J., Zweiri, Jehad, Christmas, Stephen E. and Watson, Alastair J. M. (2007) Rofecoxib has Different Effects on Chemokine Production in Colorectal Cancer Cells and Tumor Immune Splenocytes. Journal of Immunotherapy, 30 (6). pp. 614-623. ISSN 1524-9557
Watson, AJM (2007) In vivo single emission computed tomography imaging of apoptosis in Crohn's disease and anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy. Gut, 56 (4). pp. 461-463.
Bullen, Tim F, Forrest, Sharon, Campbell, Fiona, Dodson, Andrew R, Hershman, Michael J, Pritchard, D Mark, Turner, Jerrold R, Montrose, Marshall H and Watson, Alastair J M (2006) Characterization of epithelial cell shedding from human small intestine. Laboratory Investigation, 86 (10). pp. 1052-1063. ISSN 0023-6837
Bach, S P, Williamson, S E, O'Dwyer, S T, Potten, C S and Watson, A J M (2006) Regional localisation of p53-independent apoptosis determines toxicity to 5-fluorouracil and pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate in the murine gut. British Journal of Cancer, 95 (1). pp. 35-41. ISSN 0007-0920
Barker, Catherine R., Hamlett, Jane, Pennington, Stephen R., Burrows, Francis, Lundgren, Karen, Lough, Rachel, Watson, A J M and Jenkins, John R. (2006) The topoisomerase II–Hsp90 complex: A new chemotherapeutic target? International Journal of Cancer, 118 (11). pp. 2685-2693. ISSN 0020-7136
Ottewell, Penelope D., Duckworth, Carrie A., Varro, Andrea, Dimaline, Rod, Wang, Timothy C., Watson, Alastair J M, Dockray, Graham J. and Pritchard, D. Mark (2006) Gastrin Increases Murine Intestinal Crypt Regeneration Following Injury. Gastroenterology, 130 (4). pp. 1169-1180. ISSN 00165085
Barker, CR., McNamara, AV, Rackstraw, SA, Nelson, DE, White, MR, Watson, AJM and Jenkins, JR (2006) Inhibition of Hsp90 acts synergistically with topoisomerase II poisons to increase the apoptotic killing of cells due to an increase in topoisomerase II mediated DNA damage. Nucleic Acids Research, 34 (4). pp. 1148-1157. ISSN 0305-1048
Watson, AJM (2006) An overview of apoptosis and the prevention of colorectal cancer. Critical Reviews in Oncology and Hemotology, 57 (2). pp. 107-121.
Watson, Alastair J M, Chu, Shaoyou, Sieck, Leah, Gerasimenko, Oleg, Bullen, Tim, Campbell, Fiona, McKenna, Michael, Rose, Tracy and Montrose, Marshall H. (2005) Epithelial Barrier Function In Vivo Is Sustained Despite Gaps in Epithelial Layers. Gastroenterology, 129 (3). pp. 902-912. ISSN 00165085
Alsheikhly, Abdul-Razzak, Zweiri, Jehad, Walmesley, AliceJ., Watson, A J M and Christmas, Stephen E. (2004) Both soluble and membrane-bound forms of Flt3 ligand enhance tumor immunity following ?suicide? gene therapy in a murine colon carcinoma model. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, 53 (11). pp. 946-654. ISSN 0340-7004
Ottewell, P. D., Varro, A, Dockray, GJ, Kirton, CM, Watson, AJM, Wang, TC, Dimaline, R and Pritchard, DM (2004) COOH-terminal 26-amino acid residues of progastrin are sufficient for stimulation of mitosis in murine colonic epithelium in vivo. AJP: Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 288 (3). G541-G549. ISSN 0193-1857
Watson, AJM (2004) Apoptosis and colorectal cancer. Gut, 53. pp. 1701-1709.
Dunn, Julie R, Risk, Janet M, Langan, Joanne E, Marlee, Damian, Ellis, Anthony, Campbell, Fiona, Watson, Alastair J M and Field, John K (2003) Physical and transcript map of the minimally deleted region III on 17p implicated in the early development of Barrett's oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Oncogene, 22 (26). pp. 4134-4142. ISSN 09509232
Ottewell, Penelope D, Watson, Alastair J M, Wang, Timothy C, Varro, Andrea, Dockray, Graham J and Pritchard, D.Mark (2003) Progastrin stimulates murine colonic epithelial mitosis after DNA damage. Gastroenterology, 124 (5). pp. 1348-1357. ISSN 00165085
Gerasimenko, Julia V, Gerasimenko, Oleg V, Palejwala, Altaf, Tepikin, Alexei V, Petersen, Ole H and Watson, Alastair J M (2002) Menadione-induced apoptosis: roles of cytosolic Ca(2+) elevations and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Journal of cell science, 115 (Pt 3). pp. 485-497. ISSN 0021-9533
Book Section
Sarwar, N, Collins, PD and Watson, AJM (2009) Colorectal cancer surveillance after colon cancer resection and post-polypectomy (Chapter 20). In: Proceedings of the Falk Symposium 164 "Intestinal disorders". Springer.
Montrose, MH and Watson, AJM (2008) Live tissue imaging with conventional confocal microscopy. In: Atlas of Endomicroscopy. Springer.
Monograph
Collins, Paul D, Mpofu, Chiedzo, Watson, Alastair J, Rhodes, Jonathan M and Watson, Alastair J (2006) Strategies for detecting colon cancer and/or dysplasia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Review. WILEY-LISS, DIV JOHN WILEY & SONS INC, 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA .
External Activities and Indicators of Esteem
- Member of the Governing Council of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG)
- BSG Secretary for International Affairs
- Trustee of the British Society of Gastroenterology
