Staff Profile

I am a consultant in Clinical Neurophysiology. My research interest lies in developing and delivering next generation neurophysiology for rare neuromuscular disease and sarcopenia. I am a member of the AGE Research Group (https://research.ncl.ac.uk/ageresearchgroup/people/drkarensuetterlin.html) and the John Walton Centre for Muscular Dystrophy. I am the BRC Emerging Leader for the Ageing Sarcopenia and Multimorbidity Theme (https://www.newcastlebrc.nihr.ac.uk/ageing-sarcopenia-multimorbidity/).

ORCID:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6505-9404 

Twitter @KarenSuetterlin

My research interest lies in applying research in neuromuscular disease and skeletal muscle physiology to ageing and multimorbidity.

One of my current projects is funded by an ART of Healthy Ageing Pump Prime Grant. We aim to develop a simple, inexpensive handgrip exercise protocol that can be used to diagnose sarcopenia and detect/monitor mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle ( https://research.ncl.ac.uk/artofhealthyageing/fundedprojects/). One in 5,000 individuals have primary mitochondrial dysfunction in the form of genetic mitochondrial disease whilst secondary mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in insulin resistance/diabetes and tthe loss of muscle mass and function with age. However, it is currently very difficult to diagnose or monitor primary or secondary mitochondrial dysfunction without expensive or invasive tests. In order to develop and validate a method to reliably detect mitochondrial dysfunction non-invasively, we will measure muscle relaxation and muscle oxygen extraction during a handgrip exercise protocol in healthy controls and patients with genetically confirmed mitochondrial disease.

I am a Co-PI on the NIHR BRC funded MASS Lifecourse project. The MASS LC project recruits adults across a wide age range in order to characterises health and lifestyle in detail and measure body composition and physical function. The aim is to gain insights into muscle health that will define the optimal timing and design of future interventions to prevent and treat sarcopenia.

• Articles

  • Granic A, Suetterlin K, Shavlakadze T, Grounds M, Sayer AA. Hallmarks of ageing in human skeletal muscle and implications for understanding the pathophysiology of sarcopenia in women and men. Clinical Science 2023, 137(22), 1721-1751.
  • Suetterlin KJ, Matthews E, Sud R, McCall S, Fialho D, Burge J, Haworth A, Sweeney MG, Kullmann DM, Schorge S, Hanna MG, Mannikko R. Translating genetic and functional data into clinical practice: a series of 223 families with myotonia. Brain 2022, 145(2), 607-620.
  • Ribeiro A, Suetterlin K, Skorupinska I, Tan SV, Morrow JM, Matthews E, Hanna MG, Fialho D. The long exercise test as a functional marker of periodic paralysis. Muscle & Nerve 2022, 65(5), 581-585.
  • Suetterlin KJ, Männikkö R, Matthews E, Greensmith L, Hanna MG, Bostock H, Tan SV. Excitability properties of mouse and human skeletal muscle fibres compared by muscle velocity recovery cycles. Neuromuscular Disorders 2022, 32(4), 347-345.
  • Suetterlin KJ, Vivekanandam V, James N, Sud R, Holmes S, Fialho D, Hanna M, Matthews E. Annual renal ultrasound may prevent acute presentation with acetazolamide-associated urolithiasis. Neurology: Clinical Practice 2021, 11(1), e40-e42.
  • Suetterlin K, Männikkö R, Flossmann E, Sud R, Fialho D, Vivekanandam V, James N, Gossios TD, Hanna MG, Savvatis K, Matthews E. Andersen-Tawil Syndrome Presenting with Complete Heart Block. Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases 2021, 8(1), 151-154.
  • Suetterlin KJ, Tan SV, Mannikko R, Orford M, Eaton S, Phadke R, Sayer AA, Grounds MD, Matthews E, Greensmith L, Hanna MG. Ageing Contributes to Phenotype Transition in a Mouse Model of Periodic Paralysis. JCSM Rapid Communications 2021, 4(2), 245-259.
  • Suetterlin KJ, Raja Rayan D, Matthews E, Hanna MG. Mexiletine (NaMuscla) for the treatment of myotonia in non-dystrophic myotonic disorders. Expert Opinion on Orphan Drugs 2020, 8(2), 43-49.
  • Suetterlin KJ, Bugiardini E, Kaski JP, Morrow JM, Matthews E, Hanna MG, Fialho D. Long-term Safety and Efficacy of Mexiletine for Patients with Skeletal Muscle Channelopathies. JAMA Neurology 2015, 72(12), 1531.
  • Suetterlin KJ, Borg N, Joy H, Lovett JK, Ghosh BCP. When is “idiopathic intracranial hypertension” no longer idiopathic?. Practical Neurology 2014, 14(2).
  • Suetterlin KJ, Männikkö R, Hanna MG. Muscle channelopathies: recent advances in genetics, pathophysiology and therapy. Current Opinion in Neurology 2014, 27(5), 583-90.
  • Suetterlin KJ, Turner C. Diagnosis and management of headache. British journal of hospital medicine 2014, 75(12), 170-82.

• Book Chapter

  • Suetterlin KJ, Hanna MG. Muscle channelopathies. In: R. P. Lisak, D. D. Truong, W. M. Carroll and R. Bhidayasiri, ed. International Neurology Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK, 2016.

• Review

  • Suetterlin KJ, Sayer AA. Proprioception: where are we now? A commentary on clinical assessment, changes across the life course, functional implications and future intervention. Age Ageing 2014, 43(3), 313-318.