Professor Chris van der Gast

Professor

Department: Applied Sciences

Chris is Professor of Microbiome Ecology at Northumbria University. He is also a visiting Professor in Cystic Fibrosis at Dartmouth College, visiting Professor in Microbial Ecology at University of Warwick, and an Honorary Consultant Microbiologist within the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

Since completing his DPhil at the University of Oxford, Chris built a successful career in microbial ecology and environmental biotechnology. Wherein he worked in partnership with a range of SMEs and multinationals (incl. BP, Shell, and Ford Motor Company). He also cofounded the NERC spin-out company, Microbial Solutions Ltd, that used proprietary microbial consortia, which he invented, to biologically treat industrial wastewater.

Wanting new challenges, and through a combination of curiosity and serendipity, he realised the urge to refresh and redirect his research towards microbiome research and the roles of human microbiota in health and disease. Chris’ research is now focused on the role of lung and gut microbiota in chronic diseases, predominately in cystic fibrosis.

In order to unravel the complexity of human microbiota, he exploits and adapts models, theories, and principles from traditional ecology, coupled with big data from ever improving developments in -omics technologies, applied to cross-sectional and longitudinal patient population studies.

During the pandemic he was appointed as a government scientific adviser for the Joint Biosecurity Centre led Environmental Monitoring for Health Programme. The programme provided early warning of COVID-19 outbreaks through wastewater-based epidemiology and sharing data with NHS Test and Trace and local public health stakeholders. It was also used to direct surge testing and surge vaccinations to combat variants of concern. Within that national programme, Chris had specific responsibility for both Greater Manchester and the Tees Valley Combined Authority area.

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Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Bacterial interactions underpin worsening lung function in cystic fibrosis-associated infections, Rivett, D., Hatfield, L., Gavillet, H., Hardman, M., Van der Gast, C. 8 Jan 2025, In: mBio
Rapid Assembly and Functional Differentiation of the Soil Surface Microbiome in Temperate Agricultural soil, O’Grady, C., Hilton, S., Picot, E., Raguideau, S., Quince, C., van der Gast, C., Schäfer, H., Bending, G. 24 Apr 2025
Species turnover within cystic fibrosis lung microbiota is indicative of acute pulmonary exacerbation onset, Cuthbertson, L., Hatfield, L., Gavillet, H., Hardman, M., Marsh, R., Rivett, D., van der Gast, C. 13 May 2025, In: Microbiome
Ecological patterns and processes of temporal turnover within lung infection microbiota, Gavillet, H., Hatfield, L., Jones, A., Maitra, A., Horsley, A., Rivett, D., van der Gast, C. 25 Mar 2024, In: Microbiome
Impact of extended Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor therapy on the gut microbiome in cystic fibrosis, Marsh, R., Dos Santos, C., Yule, A., Dellschaft, N., Hoad, C., Ng, C., Major, G., Smyth, A., Rivett, D., van der Gast, C. 1 Sep 2024, In: Journal of Cystic Fibrosis
Effects of postage on recovery of pathogens from cystic fibrosis sputum samples, Hatfield, L., Bianco, B., Gavillet, H., Burns, P., Rivett, D., Smith, M., Jones, A., van der Gast, C., Horsley, A. 1 Sep 2023, In: Journal of Cystic Fibrosis
Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor therapy has negligible effects on the cystic fibrosis gut microbiome, Marsh, R., Dos Santos, C., Hanson, L., Ng, C., Major, G., Smyth, A., Rivett, D., van der Gast, C. 17 Oct 2023, In: Microbiology spectrum
Bacterial Culture Underestimates Lung Pathogen Detection and Infection Status in Cystic Fibrosis, Gavillet, H., Hatfield, L., Rivett, D., Jones, A., Maitra, A., Horsley, A., van der Gast, C. 26 Oct 2022, In: Microbiology spectrum
Intestinal function and transit associate with gut microbiota dysbiosis in cystic fibrosis, Marsh, R., Gavillet, H., Hanson, L., Ng, C., Mitchell-Whyte, M., Major, G., Smyth, A., Rivett, D., van der Gast, C. 1 May 2022, In: Journal of Cystic Fibrosis
Reproducibility of Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers Over Sub-Cultured Generations for the Development of Novel Textiles, Wood, J., van der Gast, C., Rivett, D., Verran, J., Redfern, J. 25 Apr 2022, In: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

PGR Supervision

Leahann Jeffers Microbial Determinants of Pneumonia in Haemodialysis Patients Start Date: 01/10/2024
James Tricker Characterising the impact of antibiotics used to treat respiratory infections and modulator therapy drugs upon the gut microbiome of children with cystic fibrosis. Start Date: 01/10/2024