Dr Rowan Hardy PhD

Department of Biomedical Sciences
Associate Professor in Steroid Metabolism and Signalling
Department of Biomedical Sciences Post Graduate Research Lead
Department of Biomedical Sciences Research Themes Lead

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0)121 414 3776
Email: r.hardy@bham.ac.uk
Twitter: @RowanSHardy1

View my research portal

Address: University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

As an Associate Professor in Steroid Metabolism and Signalling I have expanded upon a successful Versus Arthritis Early Career Development fellowship to become a leader in the field of steroid metabolism and inflammation and in vivo models of chronic inflammation. My research group is examining the roles of myeloid and mesenchymal steroid metabolism and signalling in mediating inflammatory disease pathophysiology and systemic complications in muscle and bone, identifying novel strategies to improve the safety profile of therapeutic glucocorticoids. This research involves world leading national and international collaboration across multiple centres of excellence at the UoB, including the MRC/Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research (CMAR), and the Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). My ambitions are to continue to build a fully interdisciplinary research programme that will re-define the fundamental physiological role that GCs and steroid metabolism play in human health.

Qualifications

Beacon Professional Recognition scheme: University of Birmingham, UK. Fellowship status of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). 2020
The Associate Programme in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PG Cert): University of Birmingham, UK. Awarded Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) 2011
PhD in Medicine: Stromal steroid metabolism in inflammation. Division of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Birmingham, UK. 2008
BMedSc (Hons) Medical Science (Cellular and Molecular Pathology): University of Birmingham, UK. 2004

Teaching

2020 - Present: Deputy-Lead for the BMedSci Intercalating Clinical Sciences Endocrinology and Metabolism Module.
2020 - Present: Department PGR Committee.
2020 - Present: Intercalating Clinical Sciences Curriculum Development Committee member.
2021 - Present: Lecturer on BSc Y3 Molecular and Integrative Pharmacology, From Molecules to Man.
2020 - Present: Lecturer on BSc Y3 Immunity and inflammatory disease module.
2020- Present: Lecturer on MPharm Health, Disease and Therapeutics
2019 - Present: Lecturer on MSc Immunology and Immunotherapy: Inflammation and Cell Migration module.
2019 - Present: Tutor for BSc Year 1 Personal and Academic Development modules 1 & 2:
2019 - Present: Coordinator of BSc Y2 - Student Selected Science Project: Targeting inflammatory steroid metabolism in chronic inflammatory disease.
2018 - Present: Lecturer on BMedSci Intercalating Clinical Sciences program, Endocrinology and Metabolism & Rheumatology & Orthopaedics modules.
2018 - Present: Lecturer on MSc Immunology and Immunotherapy, Inflammation and Cell Migration module.
2015 - Present: Lecturer on BSc Y3 Molecular Medicine module.
2015 - Present: Lecturer on BSc Y2 Neuroscience, Endocrinology and Reproduction.
2012 - Present: Tutor delivering 27 hours of contact time for Small Group Teaching Delivery for BMedSci, MBChB and MPharm

Other activities

2021 - Present: Member of the Heberden BRS Committee (Translational Science Lead): Lead on the development of the translational science program for the British Society for Rheumatology annual meeting. Contribute to final program agenda and delivery. Chair sessions and review and judge abstracts and proposed conference sessions.

2021 - Present: Associate Editor for Frontiers in Immunology: Triage, review coordination and final publication decision of manuscripts submitted under the speciality of cytokines, inflammatory disease and bone metabolism

2021 - Present: Associate Editor for Biomedicines: Triage, review coordination and final publication decision of manuscripts submitted under the speciality of inflammatory disease and in vivo models

2019 - Present: Trustee of the Midland Neurosciences Teaching and Research fund: Support with setting the charity research priorities, funding strategy and running. Member of the MNTRF funding committee, collectively assessing and scoring submitted research proposals to award funding.

2019 - Present: Associate Editor for BMC Endocrine Disorders: Triage, review coordination and final publication decision of manuscripts submitted under the speciality of musculoskeletal and inflammatory disease

2018 - Present: External Invited Viva Examination: Three Viva’s completed: Amadeo Garcia (2020, University of Maastricht), Andrea Lovdel (2020, University of Edinburgh), (Heather Mackie (2019, University of Glasgow)

2017 - Present: Invited grant Review: BBSRC Project grant (2021), German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Centre of Excellence in Pathomechanisms (2021), British Heart Foundation Intermediate Fellowship and Project review (2020, 2017, 2016), MRC project grant (2017)

2016 - Present: Invited peer manuscript review: Annals of Rheum Dis, Endocrine connections, Stem Cell Research & Therapy, BMC Endocrine Disorders, Pharmacological Research, International Immunology, Int Journal of Molecular Sciences, Biomedicines, Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Oxford Journal of Rheumatology, Scientific Reports, PLOS1

2016 - 2020: Society for Endocrinology Early Career Steering Group committee: Coordinated early career training and support events. Contribution to annual conference program. Facilitate cross society collaboration and outreach

2016 - 2020: Versus Arthritis, Fellows Steering Committee: Coordinating outreach and engagement amongst early career research fellows. Coordinating early career training events and advertising at the annual meeting.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Sagmeister, MS, Crastin, A, Welsh, B, Firkins, L, Cassidy, B, Nicholson, T, Hopkin, SJ, Wall, N, Taylor, AE, Kieswich, JE, Yaqoob, MM, Lavery, G, Chimen, M, McGettrick, HM, Iqbal, AJ, Breen, L, Jones, SW, Harper, L & Hardy, RS 2026, 'Divergent Roles of Skeletal Muscle 11β-HSD1 in Age-Related and Chronic Kidney Disease-Associated Sarcopenia', European Journal of Endocrinology . https://doi.org/10.1093/ejendo/lvag075

Price, ML, Wyatt, RA, Crastin, A, Jamaluddin, A, Hardy, RS, Frost, M & Gorvin, CM 2025, 'G protein-coupled receptor 35 stimulation reduces osteoclast activity in primary human bone cells', JBMR Plus, vol. 9, no. 10, ziaf131. https://doi.org/10.1093/jbmrpl/ziaf131

Price, ML, Wyatt, RA, Correia, J, Areej, Z, Hinds, M, Crastin, A, Hardy, R, Frost, M & Gorvin, CM 2025, 'Identification of anti-resorptive GPCRs by high-content imaging in human osteoclasts', Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, vol. 74, no. 4, e240143. https://doi.org/10.1530/JME-24-0143

Crastin, A, Shanker, A, Sagmeister, MS, Taylor, A, Lavery, GG, Raza, K & Hardy, RS 2025, 'Vamorolone: a novel metabolism resistant steroid that suppresses joint destruction in chronic polyarthritis with reduced systemic side effects', Rheumatology, vol. 64, no. 7, pp. 4371-4381. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keaf129

Mahida, RY, Yuan, Z, Kolluri, KK, Scott, A, Parekh, D, Hardy, RS, Matthay, MA, Perkins, GD, Janes, SM & Thickett, DR 2024, '11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 transgenic mesenchymal stem cells attenuate inflammation in models of sepsis', Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, vol. 12, 1422761. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2024.1422761

Heaselgrave, S, Henkele, S, Morgan, S, Cartwright, D, Sagmeister, M, Hardy, R, Doig, C, Morton, N, Tsintzas, K & Lavery, GG 2024, 'Glucocorticoid excess alters metabolic rate and substrate utilisation via 11β-HSD1', Journal of Endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1530/JOE-24-0205

Tomkins, M, McDonnell, T, Cussen, L, Sagmeister, M, Oestlund , I, Shaheen, F, Harper, L, Hardy, R, Taylor, A, Gilligan, L, Arlt, W, McIlroy , M, de Freitas , D, Conlon , P, Magee, C, Denton, M, O'Seaghdha, CM, Snoep, JL, Storbeck, K-H, Sherlock, M & O'Reilly, MW 2024, 'Impaired 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 activity in chronic kidney disease disrupts 11-oxygenated androgen biosynthesis', Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgae714

Mangone, A, Favero, V, Prete, A, Elhassan, Y, Asia, M, Hardy, R, Mantovani, G, Chiodini, I & Ronchi, C 2024, 'Inflammation-based scores in a large cohort of adrenocortical carcinoma and adrenocortical adenoma: role of the hormonal secretion pattern', Journal of endocrinological investigation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-024-02426-y

Martin, CS, Crastin, A, Sagmeister, MS, Kalirai, MS, Turner, JD, MacDonald, L, Kurowska-Stolarska, M, Scheel-Toellner, D, Taylor, AE, Gilligan, LC, Storbeck, K, Price, M, Gorvin, CM, Filer, A, Mahida, R, Clark, AR, Jones, SW, Raza, K, Hewison, M & Hardy, RS 2024, 'Inflammation Dynamically Regulates Steroid Hormone Metabolism and Action within Macrophages in Rheumatoid Arthritis  ', Journal of Autoimmunity, vol. 147, 103263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2024.103263

Crastin, A, Martin, CS, Suresh, S, Davies, SP, Kearns, D, Parlak, A, Adcock, H, Filer, A, Jones, SW, Raza, K, Moakes, RJA, Grover, LM & Hardy, RS 2024, 'Structured Polymers Enable the Sustained Delivery of Glucocorticoids Within the Intra-articular Space', Advanced Healthcare Materials. https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202403000

Webster, JM, Waaijenberg, K, van de Worp, WRPH, Kelders, MCJM, Lambrichts, S, Martin, C, Verhaegen, F, Van der Heyden, B, Smith, C, Lavery, GG, Schols, AMWJ, Hardy, RS & Langen, RCJ 2023, '11β-HSD1 determines the extent of muscle atrophy in a model of acute exacerbation of COPD', American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology, vol. 324, no. 4, pp. L400-L412. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajplung.00009.2022

Preprint

Price, ML, Wyatt, RA, Crastin, A, Jamaluddin, A, Hardy, RS, Frost, M & Gorvin, CM 2025 'G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) stimulation reduces osteoclast activity in primary human bone cells' bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.21.649743

Review article

Crastin, A & Hardy, R 2026, 'Rewiring Immunity: How Macrophage Steroid Metabolism Directs Inflammatory Disease', Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coemr.2026.100610

Chidomere, CI, Wahid, M, Kemble, S, Chadwick, C, Thomas, R, Hardy, RS, Mcgettrick, HM & Naylor, AJ 2023, 'Bench to Bedside: Modelling Inflammatory Arthritis', Discovery Immunology, vol. 2, no. 1, kyac010. https://doi.org/10.1093/discim/kyac010

Sagmeister, M, Harper, L & Hardy, R 2023, 'Cortisol excess in chronic kidney disease: – a review of changes and impact on mortality', Frontiers in Endocrinology, vol. 13, 1075809. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.1075809

View all publications in research portal