Dr Peter Hewett BSc PhD

Peter Hewett

Department of Cardiovascular Sciences
Lecturer

Contact details

Address
Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences
Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences
N118, IBR-Link building
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 2TT
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Peter Hewett is a lecturer in vascular and reproductive biology. His interests include the regulation and function of endothelial genes involved in vascular development, remodelling and homeostasis and how they may impact in pathologies such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, obesity, pre-eclampsia and cancer. He teaches various aspects of vascular biology, applied reproduction, pregnancy, transgenesis and molecular biology.

Qualifications

  • PhD Biochemistry, University of London, 1994
  • BSc Applied Biology (1st Class Hons), University of Wales College Cardiff, 1990

Biography

Peter Hewett qualified with a BSc in Applied Biology from the University of Wales College Cardiff (formally UWIST) in 1990. 

He went on to study for a PhD focusing on tumour vascular targeting at the CRC Gray Laboratory, London and established new techniques for the cultivation of human microvascular endothelial cells. 

In 1994 Peter took up a post-doctoral research position in the Academic Department of Clinical Oncology at the University of Nottingham where he continued studies on tumour vasculature and developed an interest in vascular endothelial growth factors. He moved to Birmingham to join Reproductive and Vascular Biology in 2001 and was appointed as a lecturer later that year.  

Teaching

  • MBChB: Deputy coordinator, lecture and small group teaching for Reproduction, Endocrinology & Development (RED) component
  • Small group REN and CVS teaching MBChB
  • Module coordination, lectures and lab practicals for BSc Biomedical Science 3rd year Reproductive Medicine module   
  • Lectures, small group teaching for year 1&2 BSc Biomedical Science
  • Supervision of 3rd year laboratory projects
  • Tutorials & module lead for MRes in Cardiovascular Sciences
  • Seminar, lab practical and assessment for Birmingham Foundation academy  
  • Personal mentor for MBChB
  • Personal tutor for BMedSc

Postgraduate supervision

Peter is interested in supervising doctoral research students in the following areas:

  • Identification of pathways controlling vascular growth factor/receptor activity in the endothelium and response to vascular insult (ox-stress, hyperglycaemia)
  • Transcriptional regulation of endothelial-restricted genes
  • Molecular mechanisms regulating endometrial decidualisation and angiogenesis and their effects on implantation/placental development and perturbation in preeclampsia

If you are interested in studying any of these subject areas please contact Pete on the contact details above.

For a full list of available Doctoral Research opportunities, please visit our Doctoral Research programme listings.

Research

Dr Hewett’s research is focused on the molecular regulation of angiogenic factors and cognate receptors (e.g. vascular endothelial cell growth factors/VEGF, angiopoietins), which play a fundamental role in blood vessel growth and function. Many of these factors are frequently associated with poor outcome in pathologies such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, pre-eclampsia and cancer making them attractive targets for therapy. Understanding the molecular events leading to the transcription of these genes and their downstream effectors in vascular cells following insults such as oxidative stress and hyperglycaemia may provide new targets for therapeutic intervention.   

Peter is also interested in endometrial decidualisation which is essential for the establishment of pregnancy and accompanied by extensive vascular remodelling. This process is frequently perturbed in infertility, endometriosis, recurrent miscarriage, preeclampsia, and intrauterine growth restriction of the fetus, which are a major burden on the NHS and may be associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease later in later life.

Other activities

  • Post graduate assessment CEM Genes & Reproduction theme 2008 – 2015
  • Member of European Association of Cancer Research
  • Member of British Association of Cancer Research

Publications

Fujisawa T, Wang K, Niu XL, Egginton S, Ahmad S, Hewett P, Kontos C, Ahmed A. (2017) Angiopoietin-1 promotes atherosclerosis by increasing the proportion of circulating Gr1+ monocytes. Cardiovasc Res 113:81-89.

Hewett, P. W. (2016) Isolation and Culture of Human Endothelial Cells from Micro- and Macro-vessels Angiogenesis Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology, 1430: 61-76. 

Martin, S. G. and Hewett, P.W. (eds.), (2016) Angiogenesis Protocols (3rd Edition) Humana Press. (Methods in Molecular Biology series; vol. 1430)

Ahmad, S.A., Hewett, P.W., Fujisawa, T., Sissaoui, S., Cai, M., Gueron, G., Cudmore, M.J., Ahmed, F., Wong, M.K.K., Wegiel, B., Otterbein, L., Vítek, L., Ramma, W., Wang, K. and Ahmed,.A. (2015) Carbon monoxide inhibits sprouting angiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 phosphorylation. Thrombosis Haemostasis 113: 221–43. 

Cudmore, M., Hewett, PW., Ahmad, S., Cai, M., Al-Ani, B., Fujisawa, T., Ma, B., Sissaoui, S., Ramma, W., Miller, M., Newby, D.E., Gu, Y., Barleon, B., Weich, H., Ahmed, A. (2012) Identification and functional characterization of heterodimerization between VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2. Nature Commun. 3: 972.

Cudmore, M.J., Ahmad, S., Sissaoui, S., Ramma, W., Ma, B., Fujisawa, T., Al-Ani, B., Wang, K., Cai, M., Crispi, F., Hewett, P.W., Gratacós, E., Egginton, S., Ahmed, A. (2012) Loss of Akt activity increases circulating soluble endoglin release in preeclampsia: identification of inter-dependency between Akt-1 and heme oxygenase-1. Eur Heart J. 33:1150-8.

*Ahmad, S., *Hewett, P.W., Al-Ani, B., Sissaoui, S., Fujisawa, T., Cudmore, M.J., Ahmed, A. (2011) Autocrine activity of soluble Flt-1 controls endothelial cell function and angiogenesis. Vasc Cell, 13:15-20. 

Al-Ani, B., Hewett, P.W., Cudmore, M.J., Fujisawa, T., Saifeddine, M., Williams, H., Ramma, W., Sissaoui, S., Jayaraman, P.S., Ohba, M., Ahmad, S., Hollenberg, M.D., Ahmed, A. (2010) Activation of proteinase-activated receptor 2 stimulates soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 release via epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation in endothelial cells. Hypertension, 55:689-97.

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