Professor Gordon McEwan

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. 

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.

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