Dr Gordon Howarth

Biography/ Background

"	BSc majoring in Microbiology & Immunology (University of Adelaide 1976)
"	BSc (Hons) Immunology (University of Adelaide 1977)
"	PhD (University of Adelaide 2002)
"	MAIMS (Australian Institute of Medical Scientists 2002)
"	ARCPA (Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia 2004)
"	Research Fellow (Cancer Council SA 2005-2008)
"	AGAF (American Gastroenterological Association Fellow 2006)
"	Associate Professor (University of Adelaide (2006-Present)

Qualifications

"	BSc majoring in Microbiology and Immunology (University of Adelaide 1976)
"	BSc (Hons) Immunology (University of Adelaide 1977)
"	PhD (University of Adelaide 2002)

Teaching Interests

Dr Howarth is the coordinator for the Nutrition & Metabolism course, and also the new Laboratory Animal Science course that was introduced in 2007. Both courses are at level 3 in the B Sc (Animal Science) program. Dr Howarth is a work experience student coordinator at the University and at the Women's and Children's Hospital. He also supervises groups of 3rd year Physiology students in research projects annually. Dr Howarth has six PhD students in his laboratory (three of these students have successfully completed their studies in May). He also supervises an external PhD student enrolled through Murdoch University and a second PhD student at CSIRO Geelong. In terms of Honours students, Dr Howarth is currently the principal supervisor of four Honours students.

Research Interests

Dr Howarth's research focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which newly-identified bioactive agents act in the intestine. These bioactive agents include probiotics, probiotic-sourced bioactives, prebiotics, synbiotics and bioactive extracts of plant, animal and marine origin. Dr Howarth has developed a wide range of animal models of gastrointestinal disease over a 20-year period. These include models of gastric ulceration, NSAID-enteropathy, chemotherapy-induced mucositis, radiation enteritis, the inflammatory bowel diseases Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and colon cancer. He has utilized these models to demonstrate therapeutic applications for a number of growth factors (eg IGF-I, the subject of Dr Howarth's PhD studies) and bioactive formulations including a whey-derived growth factor extract that is currently undergoing clinical trial for the treatment of oral mucositis. Although Dr Howarth has been an Affiliate title-holder in the University for many years, he joined the University of Adelaide as an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Agricultural and Animal Science in early 2006. Dr Howarth is supported by a Research Fellowship from the Cancer Council SA. Specific areas of research in the Howarth laboratory include:

"       Application of probiotics and probiotic-sourced factors for prevention of bowel inflammation
"       The role of medium-chain fatty acids in the development of colon cancer 
"       Effects of chemotherapy agents on intestinal stem cell expression
"       Effects of new bioactive agents on intestinal stem cell expression
"       Determining potential efficacy of prebiotics such as FOS/GOS in models of intestinal mucositis and inflammatory bowel disease 
"       Determining potential efficacy of newly-identified bioactives including dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitors, marine and land mollusc-sourced extracts, wine-sourced procyanidins and herbal extracts for treatment of intestinal mucositis, inflammatory bowel disease and other bowel disorders
"       Gut function analyses of congenital disorders such as  mucopolysaccharidosis
"       Determining gene expression profiles in the intestine
"       Nutraceutical modification of animal diets to improve growth performance and animal welfare

Professional Associations

Membership of Scientific Societies

• Endocrine Society of Australia 1995-Present
• Gastroenterological Society of Australia 1993-Present
• Australian Society for Medical Research 1988-Present
• Paediatric Research Society of Australia and New Zealand 1995-Present
• American Gastroenterological Association 1997-Present
• International Society for IGF and Growth Hormone Research 1998-Present
• Coeliac Society of Australia 1992-Present
• Nutrition Society of Australia 2006-Present
• Healthy Development Adelaide 2006-Present

Community Engagement

Dr Howarth is an ambassador for the Cancer Council SA as part of his duties as a CCSA Research Fellow. He is also a member of the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine Communication Committee as well as being the Post-Graduate Coordinator and Deputy Head of the Discipline of Agricultural and Animal Science.

Entry last updated: Tuesday, 26 May 2009