Professor Gordon McEwan

Professor Gordon McEwan
Professor Gordon McEwan
Professor Gordon McEwan

BSc (Hons) Physiology (University of Glasgow, 1984); PhD Physiology (University of Glasgow, 1988)

Personal Chair

About
Office 6:29: Institute of Medical Sciences
Foresterhill Campus
Ashgrove Road West
AB25 2ZD

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Biography

Gordon McEwan graduated BSc (Hons) Physiology from the University of Glasgow in 1984. He stayed in Glasgow to study for a PhD within the Institute of Physiology under the supervision of Dr Michael Lucas, investigating the influence of bacterial enterotoxins on intestinal drug absorption. During his PhD studies, he also spent time, in 1986, working with Prof Hannelore Daniel at the Institute for Nutrition at the University of Giessen in Germany.

After graduating PhD in 1988, he took up postdoctoral positions at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and at the Wellcome Gastroenterology Research Laboratory, CMC Hospital, Vellore, South India, where he joined Prof V.I. Mathan to study human intestinal mucosal pH in situ during diarrhoeal disease. Following this, in 1989, he joined Prof Eric Skadhauge at the Royal Veterinary & Agricultural University (KVL) in Copenhagen, investigating the influence of bacterial enterotoxins on the pig intestine. In 1990, he commenced a third postdoctoral position in the Gastrointestinal Drug Delivery Research Centre, University of Newcastle upon Tyne (working with Prof Nick Simmons and Prof Barry Hirst) where he studied regulation of paracellular transport in intestinal and renal epithelia; regulation of epithelial chloride transport; and the mechanisms of intestinal peptide and amino acid transport.

He was appointed as Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Aberdeen in 1993, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2002 and to Personal Chair in 2014. He held the role of Director of Teaching in the School of Medical Sciences from 2003 until 2015 and was the Programme Coordinator for BSc Biomedical Sciences (Physiology), BSc Physiology and BSc Neuroscience with Psychology from 2002 until 2022.

He is currently the Director of Teaching for Medical Sciences Programmes and has been Deputy Director of the Institute of Education in Healthcare & Medical Sciences (IEHMS) within the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition since its creation in 2015. 

Qualifications

  • BSc (Hons) Physiology 
    1984 - University of Glasgow 
  • PhD Physiology 
    1988 - University of Glasgow 

Memberships and Affiliations

Internal Memberships
  • Director of Teaching for Medical Sciences Degree Programmes
  • Deputy Director Institute of Education for Healthcare & Medical Sciences  (IEHMS)
  • Medical Sciences Teaching Executive Committee (Chair)
  • Medical Sciences Examination Board (Chair)
  • Medical Sciences Student Staff Liaison Committee 
  • MBChB Year 2 Executive Committee
  • IEHMS Executive Committee
  • IEHMS Assessment & Feedback Committee
  • IEHMS Line Managers Committee
  • SMMSN Executive Committee
  • SMMSN Education Steering Committee 
  • SMMSN School Teaching & Learning Committee
  • SMMSN Product Development & Recruitment Committee
  • SMMSN Bursary & Endowments Committee (Chair)
  • University Widening Access Committee

 

External Memberships

External Examiner:

  • Newcastle University; BSc Physiological Sciences (2009-2013)
  • University of Southampton; BM5 Medicine Programme (2009-2013)
  • Trinity College Dublin; BSc Human Health and Disease (2012-2016)
  • University of Glasgow; BSc Human Physiology (2015-2019)
  • Manchester University; BSc Biomedical Sciences (2018-2022)

External Programme Reviewer:

  • Glasgow Caledonian University; Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences (2012)
  • University of Dundee; School of Life Sciences (2019)

External Appointment Panel Member:

  • Trinity College Dublin; Department of Physiology (2016)

External Promotion Panel Member:

  • Robert Gordon University; School of Pharmacy

Professional Society Membership:

  • Physiological Society elected member (1992) 
Research

Research Overview

Prof McEwan's research interests focus on the broad theme of proton-coupled nutrient transport in mammalian small intestine. This has involved the use of electrophysiological and microspectrofluorometric approaches to investigate transepithelial transport mechanisms for divalent metals (iron, zinc, copper, lead), di/tri peptides and amino acids across polarised cultured human intestinal epithelia. The techniques have proved useful in characterising these important nutrient uptake processes. They have also proved invaluable in permitting study of regulation by intracellular second messengers and protein kinases. Further information, regarding control of transport, has come from investigation of pathophysiological regulation by bacterial enterotoxins. Longer term interest has been with the acid microclimate, an area of maintained low pH at the mucosal surface of mammalian small intestine and the proton source for these fundamental transport systems.

Proton-coupled nutrient transport pathways

Teaching

Programmes

Teaching Responsibilities

Prof McEwan is Deputy Director of IEHMS and Director of Teaching for Medical Science Programmes

He is also:

  • Chair Medical Sciences Teaching Executive Committee
  • Chair Medical Sciences Exam Board
  • Course Co-ordinator SM1001 (Introduction to Medical Sciences)
  • Course Co-ordinator BI20B2 (Physiology of Human Cells)
  • Course Co-ordinator PY3803 (Epithelial Physiology)

Non-course Teaching Responsibilities

Responsible for:

Medical Sciences Open Day, Applicant Day, College Articulation Day events

Medical Sciences New Student Induction (Orientation) events

Internal Teaching Review (ITR) activities

Publications

Page 1 of 9 Results 1 to 10 of 82

  • An evaluation of Medical Sciences skills to inform Co-curricular Enhancement

    Barrow, J., Shewan, D., Marini, P., Tucker, S., Scott, D. A., McEwan, G., Cafiso, M.
    13th University of Aberdeen Annual Academic Development Symposium 2022
    Contributions to Conferences: Posters
  • Development of a LabTutor experiment to simulate an in vitro Ussing chamber frog skin practical

    Scott, D. A., McEwan, G. T. A.
    Europhysiology 2018
    Contributions to Conferences: Posters
  • Inception of an online skills resource for medical science undergraduates: The School of Medical Science Skills Support Centre

    Rizea, M., McEwan, G. T. A., Tucker, S. J., Jenkinson, A. M., Shewan, D., Barrow, J.
    Contributions to Conferences: Posters
  • Transepithelial resistance and transporters in human and porcine renal cell lines.

    Alderson, C. A., Gavin, R., McEwan, G. T., Ryan, M., Hawksworth, G.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings
  • Comparative analysis of indices of in vitro toxicity in a renal cell line.

    Low, C. A., Gavin, R., McEwan, G. T., Ryan, M. P., Hawksworth, G. M.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings
  • Transepithelial resistance as an endpoint in in vitro toxicity testing.

    Low, C. A., Gavin, R., McEwan, G. T., Duff, T., Ryan, M. P., Hawksworth, G. M.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings
  • Trace element absorption by human small intestine

    McEwan, G. T. A., Scott, D. A., Heath, L., Edwards, J.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings
  • Developmental changes in DMT-1 mRNA expression correlate with the magnitude of Fe2+-evoked electrogenic transport in human intestinal Caco-2 cells

    Scott, D. A., Andersen, H., McArdle, H. J., McEwan, G. T. A.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings
  • Characterization of the basolateral charge carrier during Fe2+ and Zn2+-induced electrogenic transport in human intestinal Caco-2 epithelia

    Scott, D. A., McArdle, H. J., McEwan, G. T. A.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings
  • Identification of two pH-dependent, Zn2+-induced electrogenic transport pathways in human intestinal Caco-2 epithelia

    Scott, D. A., McArdle, H. J., McEwan, G. T. A.
    Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings
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