Professor Philip Newsome PhD, FRCPE

Philip Newsome

Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy
Honorary Professor of Experimental Hepatology and Honorary Consultant Hepatologist

Contact details

Email
p.n.newsome@bham.ac.uk
Sharona Rowe, Executive Assistant
s.rowe@researchinliver.org.uk
View my research portal
Address
Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research
5th Floor, Institute of Biomedical Research
Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy
College of Medicine and Health
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Professor Philip Newsome was Director of the Innovate UK funded Midlands and Wales Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre, Secretary General of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and was Director of the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre until June 2024.

Philip has published over 150 major research papers in scientific journals as well as reviews and book chapters in the fields of stromal cell biology and liver disease. He has received major grants from Innovate UK, NIHR, European Commission, Wellcome Trust, UKSCF, BBSRC and the Medical Research Council.

He is an enthusiastic communicator on the theme of translational cell therapy work and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and gives frequent talks to various groups at both the local and national level. He frequently contributes to both the local and national media and continues to advise the BBC on cell therapy related stories.

Qualifications

  • Fellowship of Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh 2009
  • PhD Medicine 2003
  • MBChB 1995
  • BSc (Hons) Neuroscience 1994

Biography

Philip Newsome is Honorary Professor of Experimental Hepatology and was Director of the Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research. He was also Director of the Innovate-UK funded Midlands and Wales Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre. He was Director of the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre and is the Chief Investigator on the EU FP7 funded MERLIN project as well as the Innovate UK funded POLARISE trial looking at mesenchymal stromal cells in liver disease.

He ran the metabolic services at the Liver Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham which included a large multi-disciplinary clinic for patients with NAFLD. He was Chief Investigator on a randomised controlled trial of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapy in NAFLD published in the Lancet, and is also Chief Investigator on a study of Fibroscan in NAFLD published in Gastroenterology. He is editor of a published textbook on Liver Transplantation, and chaired the national guidelines for abnormal liver blood tests. He sat on the NICE Guideline Development Group for NAFLD.

He was the Secretary General (President) for the European Association for the Study of the Liver which is the foremost Hepatology society in Europe. Its annual conference is the leading international meeting with >10,000 attendees.

He was the Hepatology vice-President for the British Society of Gastroenterology which is the foremost gastroenterology society in the UK.

Philip has received significant grant funding from the Innovate UK, NIHR, European Union, Wellcome Trust, UKSCF, BBSRC and the Medical Research Council. This research portfolio has led to high impact publications amongst over 100 major research papers in the fields of stem cell biology and liver disease. This has included original articles (PNAS, Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology, Gut, American Journal of Transplantation, Annals of Internal Medicine, Lancet) and review articles (Gastroenterology, Journal of Hepatology).

In June 2024, he moved to a new role in London, Director of Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies, Director of King's Health Partners Centre for Translational Medicine, Professor of Hepatology at King’s College London, and Honorary Consultant Hepatologist at King’s College Hospital. 

Teaching

Programmes

A range of lectures on aspects of stem cell biology, stem cell contribution in liver injury, liver regeneration and disease modelling using genetically modified mice. These include stem cell courses for Biomedical Science BSc, and one-off lectures for a number of MBChB, MSc and BSc courses. He also provides bed-side teaching for clinical students.

Module lead on Biomedical Science BSc (liver disease and health).

Postgraduate supervision

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

  • Contribution of adult stem cells to liver injury and repair.
  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; ranging from laboratory to clinical studies.

If you are interesting in studying any of these subject areas please contact Professor Philip Newsome directly, or for any general doctoral research enquiries, please email mds-gradschool@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

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

Research

Research themes

Stromal cell Biology, clinical trials, cell trafficking and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Research activity

As a clinician scientist Phil’s research starts with cutting edge basic science work which is being successfully translated to the bedside by way of innovative therapeutic studies, such as the NIHR-funded clinical trial of stem cell therapy in patients with liver cirrhosis for which he is Chief Investigator. This was the largest randomised controlled trial of stem cell therapy thus far and was in collaboration with his colleague Stuart Forbes in Edinburgh.

Stem/stromal cell biology

The main emphasis of his group’s laboratory work over the last few years has been on the trafficking and role of both adult and embryonic stem cells in the context of liver injury. This has allowed identification of the key molecular interactions that regulate the successful engraftment of such cells into the liver.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Additionally he has a bench to bedside programme of research in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). He is clinical lead for the metabolic liver service at UHBNFT and was Chief Investigator on a Wellcome Trust funded randomised double-blinded placebo controlled trial of Liraglutide (novel Glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue) in patients with NAFLD published in the Lancet. This was an Investigator initiated study performed in conjunction with an industrial partner (Novo Nordisk) and the University of Nottingham (Guru Aithal).

NAFLD is now the commonest cause of liver disease in the West, and for which again there are no effective therapies. He is the global Chief Investigator on multiple clinical trials of new therapeutic agents and leads on NAFLD for both the UK and EASL Lancet commissions on liver disease.

Other activities

  • Clinical lead for metabolic liver disease at the Liver Unit, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBNFT)
  • Expert advisor for the Association of Glycogen Storage Disorders

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Lai, JC-T, Yang, B, Lee, HW, Lin, H, Tsochatzis, EA, Petta, S, Bugianesi, E, Yoneda, M, Zheng, M-H, Hagström, H, Boursier, J, Calleja, JL, Goh, GB-B, Chan, W-K, Gallego-Duràn, R, Sanyal, AJ, de Lédinghen, V, Newsome, PN, Fan, J-G, Castera, L, Lai, M, Fournier-Poizat, C, Wong, GL-H, Pennisi, G, Armandi, A, Nakajima, A, Liu, W-Y, Shang, Y, Saint-Loup, MD, Llop, E, Teh, KKJ, Lara-Romero, C, Asgharpour, A, Mahgoub, S, Chan, MS-W, Canivet, CM, Romero-Gómez, M, Kim, SU, Wong, VW-S & Yip, TC-F 2025, 'Non-invasive risk-based surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease', Gut. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2025-334981

Sanyal, AJ, Newsome, PN, Kliers, I, Østergaard, LH, Long, MT, Kjær, MS, Cali, AMG, Bugianesi, E, Rinella, ME, Roden, M, Ratziu, V & ESSENCE Study Group 2025, 'Phase 3 Trial of Semaglutide in Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis', New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 392, no. 21, pp. 2089-2099. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2413258

Yip, TC-F, Lee, HW, Lin, H, Tsochatzis, E, Petta, S, Bugianesi, E, Yoneda, M, Zheng, M-H, Hagström, H, Boursier, J, Calleja, JL, Goh, GB-B, Chan, W-K, Gallego-Durán, R, Sanyal, AJ, de Lédinghen, V, Newsome, PN, Fan, J-G, Castéra, L, Lai, M, Fournier-Poizat, C, Wong, GL-H, Pennisi, G, Armandi, A, Nakajima, A, Liu, W-Y, Shang, Y, de Saint-Loup, M, Llop, E, Teh, KKJ, Lara-Romero, C, Asgharpour, A, Mahgoub, S, Chan, MS-W, Canivet, CM, Romero-Gomez, M, Kim, SU & Wong, VW-S 2025, 'Prognostic performance of the two-step clinical care pathway in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease', Journal of Hepatology, vol. 83, no. 2, pp. 304-314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2025.01.014

Yeo, YH, Rui, F, Zhu, Y, Xu, X, Ma, X, Ni, W, Sun, Y, Hu, X, Wu, C, Shi, J, Li, J & Newsome, PN 2025, 'The Interplay Between Alcohol Consumption and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Individuals With MASLD and MetALD', Portal Hypertension & Cirrhosis, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 157 - 166. https://doi.org/10.1002/poh2.70015

Feng, G, Mózes, FE, Ji, D, Treeprasertsuk, S, Okanoue, T, Shima, T, Liang, H, Tsochatzis, E, Chen, J, Schattenberg, JM, Labenz, C, Mahadeva, S, Chan, WK, Chi, X, Delamarre, A, de Lédinghen, V, Petta, S, Bugianesi, E, Hagström, H, Boursier, J, Calleja, JL, Boon-Bee Goh, G, Gallego-Durán, R, Sanyal, AJ, Fan, J-G, Castéra, L, Lai, M, Harrison, SA, Romero-Gomez, M, Kim, SU, Zhu, Y, Ooi, G, Shi, J, Yoneda, M, Nakajima, A, Lupsor-Platon, M, Zhong, B, Cobbold, JFL, Ye, C-Y, Eddowes, PJ, Newsome, P, Li, J, George, J, He, F, Song, MJ, Tang, H, Fan, Y, Jia, J, Xu, L, Lin, S, Li, Y, Lu, Z, Nan, Y, Niu, J, Yan, X, Zhou, Y, Liu, C, Deng, H, Ye, Q, Zeng, Q-L, Li, L, Wang, J, Yang, S, Lin, H, Lee, HW, Cheuk-Fung Yip, T, Fournier-Poizat, C, Lai-Hung Wong, G, Pennisi, G, Armandi, A, Liu, W-Y, Shang, Y, de Saint-Loup, M, Llop, E, Jun Teh, KK, Romero, CL, Asgharpour, A, Mahgoub, S, Sau-Wai Chan, M, Canivet, CM, Ji, F, Xin, Y, Chai, J, Dong, Z, Targher, G, Byrne, CD, He, N, Mi, M, Ye, F, Wai-Sun Wong, V, Pavlides, M, Zheng, M-H & Zhang, J 2024, 'acFibroMASH index for the diagnosis of fibrotic MASH and prediction of liver-related events: An international multicenter study', Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2024.07.045

Sanyal, AJ, Bedossa, P, Fraessdorf, M, Neff, GW, Lawitz, E, Bugianesi, E, Anstee, QM, Hussain, SA, Newsome, PN, Ratziu, V, Hosseini-Tabatabaei, A, Schattenberg, JM, Noureddin, M, Alkhouri, N, Younes, R & for the 1404-0043 Trial Investigators 2024, 'A Phase 2 Randomized Trial of Survodutide in MASH and Fibrosis', New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 391, no. 4, pp. 311-319. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2401755

Harrison, SA, Bedossa, P, Guy, CD, Schattenberg, JM, Loomba, R, Taub, R, Labriola, D, Moussa, SE, Neff, GW, Rinella, ME, Anstee, QM, Abdelmalek, MF, Younossi, Z, Baum, S, Francque, S, Charlton, M, Newsome, P, Lanthier, N, Shiefke, I, Mangia, A, Pericas, JM, Patil, R, Sanyal, AJ, Noureddin, M, Bansal, M, Alkhouri, N, Castera, L, Rudraraju, M, Ratziu, V & MAESTRO-NASH Investigators 2024, 'A Phase 3, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Resmetirom in NASH with Liver Fibrosis', The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 390, pp. 497-509. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2309000

Khan, R, Salman, S, Harford, L, Sheriff, L, Hazeldine, J, Rajoriya, N, Newsome, PN & Lalor, PF 2024, 'Circulating myeloid populations have prognostic utility in alcohol-related liver disease', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 15, 1330536. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1330536

Horn, P, Norlin, J, Almholt, K, Viuff, BM, Galsgaard, ED, Hald, A, Zosel, F, Demuth, H, Poulsen, S, Norby, PL, Rasch, MG, Vyberg, M, Fleckner, J, Werge, MP, Gluud, LL, Rink, MR, Shepherd, E, Northall, E, Lalor, PF, Weston, CJ, Fog-Tonnesen, M & Newsome, PN 2024, 'Evaluation of Gremlin-1 as a therapeutic target in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis', eLife, vol. 13, RP95185. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.95185

Newsome, PN, Sanyal, AJ, Engebretsen, KA, Kliers, I, Østergaard, L, Vanni, D, Bugianesi, E, Rinella, ME, Roden, M & Ratziu, V 2024, 'Semaglutide 2.4 mg in Participants With Metabolic Dysfunction‐Associated Steatohepatitis: Baseline Characteristics and Design of the Phase 3 ESSENCE Trial', Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18331

Miller, H, Harman, D, Aithal, GP, Manousou, P, Cobbold, JF, Parker, R, Sheridan, D, Newsome, PN, Karpe, F, Neville, M, Arlt, W, Sitch, AJ, Korbonits, M, Biehl, M, Alazawi, W & Tomlinson, JW 2024, 'Translating the potential of the urine steroid metabolome to stage NAFLD (TrUSt-NAFLD): study protocol for a multicentre, prospective validation study', BMJ Open, vol. 14, no. 1, e074918. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074918

Hirschfield, G, Arndtz, K, Kirkham, A, Chen, Y-Y, Fox, R, Rowe, A, Douglas-Pugh, J, Thorburn, D, Barnes, E, Aithal, GP, Hull, D, Bhandal, K, Olsen, K, Woodward, P, Lax, S, Newsome, P, Smith, D, Kallio, A, Adams, D, Homer, V & Weston, C 2024, 'Vascular adhesion protein-1 blockade in primary sclerosing cholangitis: open-label, multi-centre, single arm, phase II trial', Hepatology Communications, vol. 8, no. 5, e0426. https://doi.org/10.1097/HC9.0000000000000426

Comment/debate

Newsome, P, Rinella, ME, Lazarus, JV & Terrault, N 2024, 'Reply: NAFLD, MAFLD, or MASLD? Cut the Gordian knot with "Ludwig disease"', Hepatology, vol. 79, no. 1, pp. E5-E6. https://doi.org/10.1097/HEP.0000000000000587

Rinella, ME, Castro Narro, GE, Krag, A, Terrault, N & Newsome, PN 2024, 'Reply: 'From NAFLD to MASLD: Promise and pitfalls of a new definition'†', Hepatology, vol. 79, no. 2, pp. E16-E17. https://doi.org/10.1097/HEP.0000000000000705

Review article

Abeysekera, KWM, Valenti, L, Younossi, Z, Dillon, JF, Allen, AM, Nourredin, M, Rinella, ME, Tacke, F, Francque, S, Ginès, P, Thiele, M, Newsome, PN, Guha, IN, Eslam, M, Schattenberg, JM, Alqahtani, SA, Arrese, M, Berzigotti, A, Holleboom, AG, Caussy, C, Cusi, K, Roden, M, Hagström, H, Wong, VWS, Mallet, V, Castera, L, Lazarus, JV & Tsochatzis, EA 2024, 'Implementation of a liver health check in people with type 2 diabetes', The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 83-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(23)00270-4

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Stem cell research for liver disease; clinical interest in fatty liver disease and liver transplantation; metabolic liver disease (cystic fibrosis, porphyria, glycogen storage disease).