Andrew Newby is British Heart Foundation Professor of Vascular Cell Biology. He graduated in Natural Sciences (Biochemistry) from Cambridge and studied for a PhD with Professor CN Hales FRS. He then worked on adenylate cyclase with Nobel Laureate Martin Rodbell at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. Afterwards he held a Beit Memorial Fellowship in Cambridge where he elucidated the metabolic pathways responsible for production of the cardioprotective metabolite, adenosine. Subsequently, he was successively non-clinical lecturer, senior lecturer, reader and Professor in Cardiff. While continuing to work on adenosine, he contributed to the identification of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor as nitric oxide. He is most know however, for discovering a role for matrix degrading metalloproteinases in vascular smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation in vein grafts, after angioplasty and in atherosclerosis. His elucidation of the inflammatory basis of metalloproteinase production is continuing to shed light on the role of inflammation in plaque rupture and myocardial infarction. He was one of the first vascular biologists to use of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer which he now combines with other post-genome technologies. This work has led to more than 170 peer-reviewed research papers and 30 reviews, which have collectively attracted 9000 citations (H>60). Prof Newby’s work was continuously supported by UK programme grants for the past 20 years. He was also co-director of the EC-funded European Vascular Genomics Network.

Prof Newby has served on grants committees of the major UK Research Councils and Charities and also reviewed grants for Belgian, Dutch, French, German and other overseas bodies. His Editorial Boards include Atherosclerosis, ATVB, Circulation Research and Cardiovascular Research.

Prof Newby has been an EAS member for many years and recently served on the Programme Committee for the Helsinki and Gothenburg congresses. He has more than 20 years involvement with the European Society of Cardiology, being a founder member and later Chair of the working group Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis, a member of the Congress Programme Committee and Chairman of the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science. He now dedicates himself to running the biennial ESC Summer Schools in Cardiovascular Biology. Perhaps most significantly he re-launched and was President of the European Vascular Biology Organisation from 2006-10.