Our
Mission
Edinburgh Metabolism, within the Centre for Cardiovascular Science at the University of Edinburgh, brings together clinical and basic scientists focused on:
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Understanding mechanisms maintaining metabolic health across the life course.
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Understanding how these go awry to drive ill health, including obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, cardiovascular diseases, and increased susceptibility to infections.
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Developing novel approaches to reducing disease risk and treating established metabolic disease.
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Pioneering new approaches to enable cardiometabolic science.
Our aim is to act as a nexus for cross-disciplinary collaborations positioned at the cutting edge of advances in understanding and treating cardiometabolic diseases.
We maintain close collaborations across the University of Edinburgh, particularly through the Edinburgh Diabetes Network, and with the Institute for Regeneration and Repair, the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The Usher Institute, Edinburgh Neuroscience, and the Edinburgh Pregnancy Research Team. We benefit from a range of strong international collaborations, especially with Denmark (through the Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy, DDEA) and Malawi (through NIHR funding).
Our position in the Edinburgh BioQuarter campus seeds strong interactions with data scientists within the Usher Institute/DataLoch. Our wider outreach includes links with One Health programmes in the veterinary campus (e.g. LARIF) well as a strong interdisciplinary interface with physical science colleagues in the Kings Building Campus.
In addition to CVS's wider seminar programme, Edinburgh Metabolism runs more thematically focused internal meetings, including a monthly Adipose Biology Club and a Steroid Interest Group. The UK-wide Adipose Tissue Discussion Group meetings in 2018, 2021 and 2023 were organised by our members. Our members also lead the Scottish Metabolomics Network.
Our work enjoys broad-based support from numerous funders, including the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, MRC, BBSRC, Wellcome Trust, the Chief Scientist Office, and the NIHR.
Our research encompasses a wide range of experimental approaches and modalities, including:
• Cell and molecular biology
• Advanced imaging and analytic platforms
• Model organism genetics and physiology
• Proof of concept for advanced therapies
• Human genetics and epidemiology
• Experimental medicine
• Clinical trials
• Data science
High salt intake activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, amplifies the stress response, and alters tissue glucocorticoid exposure in mice.
Costello HM, Krilis G, Grenier C, Severs D, Czopek A, Ivy JR, Nixon M, Holmes MC, Livingstone DEW, Hoorn EJ, Dhaun N, Bailey MA.
Cardiovasc Res. 2023 Jul 6;119(8):1740-1750.
PMID: 36368681
