Professor Chris van der Gast

Professor

School: Geography and Natural 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
Investigations into the aetiopathogenesis of orofacial granulomatosis using multiple omics technologies reveal a potential role for B cells, Tumelty, M., Patel, K., Petersen, H., Delaney, C., Lappin, D., Gibson, J., Ramage, G., van der Gast, C., Smith, A., Nile, C. 12 May 2026, In: Clinical and Translational Medicine
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. 26 Feb 2026, In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Remodelling of cystic fibrosis respiratory microbiota in response to extended elexacaftor–tezacaftor–ivacaftor therapy, van der Gast, C., Gavillet, H., Hatfield, L., Hardman, M., Marsh, R., Einarsson, G., Thornton, C., Parkins, M., Duckers, J., Bomberger, J., Hilliam, Y., Lee, S., Lord, R., Jones, A., Horsley, A., Daniels, T., Teneback, C., Rivett, D. 30 Apr 2026, In: Microbiome
The gut microbiome: Recent findings and future opportunities in cystic fibrosis, Marsh, R., Tricker, J., Delhaes, L., Bomberger, J., van der Gast, C. 9 May 2026, In: Journal of Cystic Fibrosis
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
Investigating microbiota differences across chronic pancreatitis, influenced by lifestyle and genetic determinants, Ahmed, A., Rajai, A., Fullwood, C., Rivett, D., McLaughlin, J., van der Gast, C., Marsh, R. 21 Oct 2025, In: BMC Gastroenterology
Nontuberculous mycobacteria remodel lung microbiota in cystic fibrosis-associated respiratory infections, Hardman, M., Higgi, S., Hanson, L., Schutz, K., Wargo, M., Teneback, C., Daniels, T., van der Gast, C., Rivett, D. 2 Sep 2025, In: Microbiology Spectrum
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. 7 Jun 2025, In: Microbiome
WS04.02: Gut microbiota-metabolome relationships across CFTR modulator usage: preliminary findings from the GRAMPUS-CF study, Marsh, R., Cheung, W., Arends, D., Sills, D., Rivett, D., Smyth, A., van der Gast, C. Jun 2025, In: Journal of Cystic Fibrosis

PGR Supervision

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
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 End Date: 17/10/2025
Leahann Jeffers Microbial Determinants of Pneumonia in Haemodialysis Patients Start Date: 01/10/2024
Leahann Jeffers Microbial Determinants of Pneumonia in Haemodialysis Patients Start Date: 01/10/2024 End Date: 17/10/2025