Endocrine Abstracts

Paul Stewart, University of Birmingham, UK Abstract

Born in Harrogate in 1959, Paul received his undergraduate Medical training at Edinburgh University. His house officer and senior house officer posts were undertaken at the Royal Infirmary and Western General Hospital Edinburgh, and it was here that his interest in endocrinology was kindled, largely thanks to the clinical skills and mentorship of Christopher Edwards and Paul Padfield. Subsequently post MRCP, Paul began a formal training in both clinical and laboratory-based research as a MRC Clinical Training Fellow under the supervision of Chris Edwards. His original research characterised a patient with what proved to be a seminal case of mineralocorticoid hypertension; related studies defined the cause of liquorice-induced hypertension and elucidated a novel enzyme system in the kidney - 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. In 1989 he was awarded his post-graduate MD with distinction and the award of a Gold Medal. Paul then moved to the University of Birmingham where his clinical training in endocrinology was completed under the auspices of David London, Jayne Franklyn, David Heath, Michael Sheppard and Alex Wright. With Michael Sheppard's continual support and enthusiasm his academic career developed with support from the MRC; since 1992 he has held the prestigious post of MRC Senior Clinical Fellow and has successfully used this as a platform to build an internationally competitive research group focussing on steroid hormone metabolism and its implications for human disease. In 1993-1994 Paul was a visiting Associate Professor to the Green Center, and Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. In 1996 he was awarded a personal Chair from the University of Birmingham and in 1999 was admitted to the Academy of Medical Sciences. Paul serves on several academic and Society for Endocrinology committees including Council and is currently the Editor of Clinical Endocrinology.