Staff Profile

Roles and Responsibilities

Professor of Molecular Diabetic Medicine, University of Newcastle
Honorary Consultant Physician, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust and Newcastle Primary Care Trust
Former Director, Newcastle NIHR/Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility

Qualifications

BMedSci (1st class Hons) University of Newcastle 1980
MB BS University of Newcastle 1983; MRCP (UK) 1986;
MD University of Newcastle 1992; FRCP London 1997.

Research Interests

Genetic and metabolic abnormalities in families with Type 2 diabetes; biochemical and genetic basis of insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes;  mitochondrial related diabetes.

• Deshmukh HA, LundagerMadsen A, Viñuela A, Have CT, Grarup N, Tura A, Mahajan A, Heggie AJ, Koivula RW, DeMasi F, Tsirigos KK, Linneberg A, Drivsholm T, Pedersen O, Sørensen TIA, Astrup A, Gjesing AAP, Pavo I, Wood AR, Ruetten H, Jones AG, Koopman ADM, Cederberg H, Rutters F, Ridderstrale M, Laakso M, McCarthy MI, Frayling TM, Ferrannini E, Franks PW, Pearson ER, Mari A, Hansen T, Walker M. Genome-wide association analysis of pancreatic beta-cell glucose sensitivity. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2021, 106, 80-90.
• Blair HR, Tomas C, Miwa S, Heath A, Russell A, Ginkel M-V, Gunn D, Walker M. Peroxisomes and pancreatic beta-cell lipo-dysfunction. Journal of Diabetes and its Complications 2021, 35(3), 107843.
• Koivula RW, Atabaki-Pasdar N, Giordano GN, White T, Adamski J, Bell JD, Beulens J, Brage S, Brunak S, De Masi F, Dermitzakis ET, Forgie IM, Frost G, Hansen T, Hansen TH, Hattersley A, Kokkola T, Kurbasic A, Laakso M, Mari A, McDonald TJ, Pedersen O, Rutters F, Schwenk JM, Teare HJA, Thomas EL, Vinuela A, Mahajan A, McCarthy MI, Ruetten H, Walker M, Pearson E, Pavo I, Franks PW. The role of physical activity in metabolic homeostasis before and after the onset of type 2 diabetes: an IMI DIRECT study. Diabetologia 2020, 63(4), 744-756.
• Tomas C, Elson JL, Newton JL, Walker M. Substrate utilisation of cultured skeletal muscle cells in patients with CFS. Scientific Reports 2020, 10(1), 18232.
• Koivula RW, Forgie IM, Kurbasic A, Vinuela A, Heggie A, Giordano GN, Hansen TH, Hudson M, Koopman ADM, Rutters F, Siloaho M, Allin KH, Brage S, Brorsson CA, Dawed AY, De Masi F, Groves CJ, Kokkola T, Mahajan A, Perry MH, Rauh SP, Ridderstrale M, Teare HJA, Thomas EL, Tura A, Vestergaard H, White T, Adamski J, Bell JD, Beulens JW, Brunak S, Dermitzakis ET, Froguel P, Frost G, Gupta R, Hansen T, Hattersley A, Jablonka B, Kaye J, Laakso M, McDonald TJ, Pedersen O, Schwenk JM, Pavo I, Mari A, McCarthy MI, Ruetten H, Walker M, Pearson E, Franks PW. Discovery of biomarkers for glycaemic deterioration before and after the onset of type 2 diabetes: descriptive characteristics of the epidemiological studies within the IMI DIRECT Consortium. Diabetologia 2019, 62(9), 1601-1615.
• Shah UJ, Xie W, Flyvbjerg A, Nolan JJ, Hojlund K, Walker M, Relton CL, Elliott HR. Differential methylation of the type 2 diabetes susceptibility locus KCNQ1 is associated with insulin sensitivity and is predicted by CpG site specific genetic variation. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 2019, 148, 189-199.
• Yeung RO, Hannah-Shmouni F, Niederhoffer K, Walker MA. Not quite type 1 or type 2, what now? Review of monogenic, mitochondrial, and syndromic diabetes. Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders 2018, 19(1), 35-52.
• Wood AR, Jonsson A, Jackson AU, Wang N, Van Leewen N, Palmer ND, Kobes S, Deelen J, Boquete-Vilarino L, Paananen J, Stancakova A, Boomsma DI, De Geus EJC, Eekhoff EMW, Fritsche A, Kramer M, Nijpels G, Simonis-Bik A, Van Haeften TW, Mahajan A, Boehnke M, Bergman RN, Tuomilehto J, Collins FS, Mohlke KL, Banasik K, Groves CJ, McCarthy MI, Pearson ER, Natali A, Mari A, Buchanan TA, Taylor KD, Xiang AH, Gjesing AP, Grarup N, Eiberg H, Pedersen O, Chen Y-D, Laakso M, Norris JM, Smith U, Wagenknecht LE, Baier L, Bowden DW, Hansen T, Walker M, Watanabe RM, T'Hart LM, Hanson RL, Frayling TM. A genome-wide association study of IVGTT-based measures of first-phase insulin secretion refines the underlying physiology of type 2 diabetes variants. Diabetes 2017, 66(8), 2296-2309.
• Lotta LA, Gulati P, Day FR, Payne F, Ongen H, Van De Bunt M, Gaulton KJ, Eicher JD, Sharp SJ, Luan J, De Lucia Rolfe E, Stewart ID, Wheeler E, Willems SM, Adams C, Yaghootkar H, Sharp SJ, Forouhi NG, Kerrison ND, Sims M, Lucarelli DME, Deloukas P, McCarthy MI, Arriola L, Balkau B, Barricarte A, Boeing H, Franks PW, Gonzalez C, Grioni S, Kaaks R, Key TJ, Navarro C, Nilsson PM, Overvad K, Palli D, Panico S, Quiros JR, Rolandsson O, Sacerdote C, Salamanca-Fernandez E, Slimani N, Tjonneland A, Tumino R, Spijkerman AMW, Van Der A DL, Van Der Schouw YT, Riboli E, Semple RK, Stears A, George S, Walker M, Gurnell E, Maguire D, Mukhtar R, Nag S, Adler A, Soeters MR, Laji K, Watt A, Aylwin S, Johnson A, Rayman G, Hanna F, Ellard S, Ross R, Blaslov K, Duvnjak LS, Khaw K-T, Johnson AD, Frayling T, Perry JRB, Dermitzakis E, Barroso I, Wareham NJ, Savage DB, Langenberg C, O'Rahilly S, Scott RA. Integrative genomic analysis implicates limited peripheral adipose storage capacity in the pathogenesis of human insulin resistance. Nature Genetics 2017, 49(1), 17-26.
• Brown AE, Walker M. Genetics of Insulin Resistance and the Metabolic Syndrome. Current Cardiology Reports 2016, 18, 75.
• Al-bayati A, Lukka D, Brown AE, Walker M. Effects of thrombin on insulin signalling and glucose uptake in cultured human myotubes. Journal of Diabetes and its Complications 2016, 30(7), 1209-1216.
• Brown AE, Jones DE, Walker M, Newton JL. Abnormalities of AMPK Activation and Glucose Uptake in Cultured Skeletal Muscle Cells from Individuals with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. PLoS One 2015, 10(4), e0122982.
• Knowles JW, Xie WJ, Zhang ZY, Chennemsetty I, Assimes TL, Paananen J, Hansson O, Pankow J, Goodarzi MO, Carcamo-Orive I, Morris AP, Chen YDI, Makinen VP, Ganna A, Mahajan A, Guo XQ, Abbasi F, Greenawalt DM, Lum P, Molony C, Lind L, Lindgren C, Raffel LJ, Tsao PS, Schadt EE, Rotter JI, Sinaiko A, Reaven G, Yang X, Hsiung CA, Groop L, Cordell HJ, Laakso M, Hao K, Ingelsson E, Frayling TM, Weedon MN, Walker M, Quertermous T, RISC Relationship Insulin, EUGENE European Network Functional, GUARDIAN Genetics UndeRlying, SAPPHIRE Stanford Asian Pacific. Identification and validation of N-acetyltransferase 2 as an insulin sensitivity gene. Journal of Clinical Investigation 2015, 125(4), 1739-1751.
• Brown AE, Palsgaard J, Borup R, Avery P, Gunn DA, De Meyts P, Yeaman SJ, Walker M. p38 MAPK activation upregulates proinflammatory pathways in skeletal muscle cells from insulin-resistant type 2 diabetic patients. American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism 2015, 308(1), E63-E70.
• Nile DL, Brown AE, Kumaheri MA, Blair HR, Heggie A, Miwa S, Cree LM, Payne B, Chinnery PF, Brown L, Gunn DA, Walker M. Age-Related Mitochondrial DNA Depletion and the Impact on Pancreatic Beta Cell Function. PLoS One 2014, 9(12), e115433.
• Koivula RW, Heggie A, Barnett A, Cederberg H, Hansen TH, Koopman AD, Ridderstrale M, Rutters F, Vestergaard H, Gupta R, Herrgard S, Heymans MW, Perry MH, Rauh S, Siloaho M, Teare HJA, Thorand B, Bell J, Brunak S, Frost G, Jablonka B, Mari A, McDonald TJ, Dekker JM, Hansen T, Hattersley A, Laakso M, Pedersen O, Koivisto V, Ruetten H, Walker M, Pearson E, Franks PW, DIRECT Consortium. Discovery of biomarkers for glycaemic deterioration before and after the onset of type 2 diabetes: rationale and design of the epidemiological studies within the IMI DIRECT Consortium. Diabetologia 2014, 57(6), 1132-1142.
• Xie W, Wood AR, Lyssenko V, Weedon MN, Knowles JW, Alkayyali S, Assimes TL, Quertermous T, Abbasi F, Paananen J, Häring H, Hansen T, Pedersen O, Smith U, Laakso M, MAGIC Investigators, DIAGRAM Consortium, RISC Consortium, Dekker JM, Nolon JJ, Groop L, Ferrannini E, Adam KP, Gall WE, Frayling TM, Walker M. Genetic Variants Associated with Glycine Metabolism and their Role in Insulin Sensitivity and Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes 2013, 62(6), 2141-2150.
• Gordon C, Walker M, Carrick-Sen D. Exploring risk, prevention and educational approaches for the non-diabetic offspring of patients with type 2 diabetes - a qualitative study. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2013, 69(12), 2726-2737.
• Schaefer AM, Walker M, Turnbull DM, Taylor RW. Endocrine disorders in mitochondrial disease. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 2013, 379(1-2), 2-11.
• Ingelsson E, Langenberg C, Hivert MF, Prokopenko I, Lyssenko V, Dupuis J, Magi R, Sharp S, Jackson AU, Assimes TL, Shrader P, Knowles JW, Zethelius B, Abbasi FA, Bergman RN, Bergmann A, Berne C, Boehnke M, Bonnycastle LL, Bornstein SR, Buchanan TA, Bumpstead SJ, Bottcher Y, Chines P, Collins FS, Cooper CC, Dennison EM, Erdos MR, Ferrannini E, Fox CS, Graessler J, Hao K, Isomaa B, Jameson KA, Kovacs P, Kuusisto J, Laakso M, Ladenval C, Mohlke KL, Morken MA, Narisu N, Nathan DM, Pascoe L, Payne F, Petrie JR, Sayer AA, Schwarz PEH, Scott LJ, Stringham HM, Stumvoll M, Swift AJ, Syvanen AC, Tuomi T, Tuomilehto J, Tonjes A, Valle TT, Williams GH, Lind L, Barroso I, Quertermous T, Walker M, Wareham NJ, Meigs JB, McCarthy MI, Groop L, Watanabe RM, Florez JC. Detailed Physiologic Characterization Reveals Diverse Mechanisms for Novel Genetic Loci Regulating Glucose and Insulin Metabolism in Humans. Diabetes 2010, 59(5), 1266-1275.
• Langenberg C, Pascoe L, Mari A, Tura A, Laakso M, Frayling TM, Barroso I, Loos RJF, Wareham NJ, Walker M, RISC Consortium. Common genetic variation in the melatonin receptor 1B gene (MTNR1B) is associated with decreased early-phase insulin response. Diabetologia 2009, 52(8), 1537-1542.
• Cree L, Patel S, Pyle A, Lynn S, Turnbull DM, Chinnery PF, Walker M. Age-related decline in mitochondrial DNA copy number in isolated human pancreatic islets. Diabetologia 2008, 51(8), 1440-1443.
• Pascoe L, Frayling TM, Weedon MN, Mari A, Tura A, Ferrannini E, Walker M. Beta cell glucose sensitivity is decreased by 39% in non-diabetic individuals carrying multiple diabetes-risk alleles compared with those with no risk alleles. Diabetologia 2008, 51(11), 1989-1992.
• Young AH, Ferrier IN, Ball SG, Mohiuddin MK, Todhunter CE, Mansfield JC, members of the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium. Genome-wide association study of 14,000 cases of seven common diseases and 3,000 shared controls. Nature 2007, 447(7145), 661-678.
• Frayling TM, Timpson NJ, Weedon MN, Zeggini E, Freathy RM, Lindgren CM, Perry JRB, Elliott KS, Lango H, Rayner NW, Shields B, Harries LW, Barrett JC, Ellard S, Groves CJ, Knight B, Patch A-M, Ness AR, Ebrahim S, Lawlor DA, Ring SM, Ben-Shlomo Y, Jarvelin M-R, Sovio U, Bennett AJ, Melzer D, Ferrucci L, Loos RJF, Barroso I, Wareham NJ, Karpe F, Owen KR, Cardon LR, Walker M, Hitman GA, Palmer CNA, Doney ASF, Morris AD, Smith GD, Hattersley AT, McCarthy MI. A common variant in the FTO gene is associated with body mass index and predisposes to childhood and adult obesity. Science 2007, 316(5826), 889-894.
• Pascoe L, Tura A, Patel SK, Ibrahim IM, Ferrannini E, Zeggini E, Weedon MN, Mari A, Hattersley AT, McCarthy MI, Frayling TM, Walker M. Common variants of the novel type 2 diabetes genes CDKAL1 and HHEX/IDE are associated with decreased pancreatic β-cell function. Diabetes 2007, 56(12), 3101-3104.
• Whittaker RG, Schaefer AM, McFarland R, Taylor RW, Walker M, Turnbull DM. Diabetes and deafness: Is it sufficient to screen for the mitochondrial 3243A>G mutation alone?. Diabetes Care 2007, 30(9), 2238-2239.
• Patel S, Minton JAL, Weedon MN, Frayling TM, Ricketts C, Hitman GA, McCarthy MI, Hattersley AT, Walker M, Barrett TG. Common variations in the ALMS1 gene do not contribute to susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in a large white UK population. Diabetologia 2006, 49(6), 1209-1213.
• Walker M, Mari A, Jayapaul MK, Bennett SMA, Ferrannini E. Impaired beta cell glucose sensitivity and whole-body insulin sensitivity as predictors of hyperglycaemia in non-diabetic subjects. Diabetologia 2005, 48(12), 2470-2476.
• McIntyre EA, Halse R, Yeaman SJ, Walker M. Cultured muscle cells from insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes patients have impaired insulin, but normal 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside-stimulated, glucose uptake. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2004, 89(7), 3440-3448.
• Mills GW, Avery PJ, McCarthy MI, Hattersley AT, Levy JC, Hitman GA, Sampson M, Walker M. Heritability estimates for beta cell function and features of the insulin resistance syndrome in UK families with an increased susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia 2004, 47(4), 732-738.
• Hills SA, Balkau B, Coppack SW, Dekker JM, Mari A, Natali A, Walker M, Ferrannini E. The EGIR-RISC Study (the European group for the study of insulin resistance: Relationship between insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular disease risk): I. Methodology and Objectives. Diabetologia 2004, 47(3), 566-570.
• Wiltshire S, Hattersley AT, Hitman GA, Walker M, Levy JC, Sampson M, O'Rahilly S, Frayling TM, Bell JI, Lathrop GM, Bennett A, Dhillon R, Fletcher C, Groves CJ, Jones E, Prestwich P, Simecek N, Rao PVS, Wishart M, Foxon R, Howell S, Smedley D, Cardon LR, Menzel S, McCarthy MI. A genomewide scan for loci predisposing to type 2 diabetes in a UK population (the Diabetes UK Warren 2 repository): Analysis of 573 pedigrees provides independent replication of a susceptibility locus on chromosome 1q. American Journal of Human Genetics 2001, 69(3), 553-569.
• Lynn S, Borthwick GM, Charnley RM, Walker M, Turnbull DM. Heteroplasmic ratio of the A3243G mitochondrial DNA mutation in single pancreatic beta cells. Diabetologia 2003, 46(2), 296-299.
• Hearn T, Renforth GL, Spalluto C, Hanley NA, Piper K, Brickwood S, White C, Connolly V, Taylor JFN, Russell-Eggitt I, Bonneau D, Walker M, Wilson DI. Mutation of ALMS1, a large gene with a tandem repeat encoding 47 amino acids, causes Alstrom syndrome. Nature Genetics 2002, 31(1), 79-83.
• Jackson S, Bagstaff SM, Lynn S, Yeaman SJ, Turnbull DM, Walker M. Decreased insulin responsiveness of glucose uptake in cultured human skeletal muscle cells: From insulin-resistant nondiabetic relatives of type 2 diabetic families. Diabetes 2000, 49(7), 1169-1177.
• Choo-Kang ATW, Lynn S, Taylor GA, Daly ME, Sihota SS, Wardell TM, Chinnery PF, Turnbull DM, Walker M. Defining the importance of mitochondrial gene defects in maternally inherited diabetes by sequencing the entire mitochondrial genome. Diabetes 2002, 51(7), 2317-2320.
• Wiltshire S, Frayling TM, Hattersley AT, Hitman GA, Walker M, Levy JC, O'Rahilly S, Groves CJ, Menzel S, Cardon LR, McCarthy MI. Evidence for linkage of stature to chromosome 3p26 in a large UK family data set ascertained for type 2 diabetes. American Journal of Human Genetics 2002, 70(2), 543-546.