Role
Research Centre Director, Principal Investigator
Career overview
Nik Morton graduated in Biochemistry at the University of Glasgow and completed his PhD in molecular biology of obesity and diabetes at the Clore Laboratory, University of Buckingham with human geneticist Valur Emilsson and industry-academic Mike Cawthorne. He moved to his first Post-Doc position in Edinburgh with Jonathan Seckl, working on intracellular enzymes that modulated glucocorticoid action and that were potential therapeutic targets for metabolic disease. He obtained a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Fellowship to continue working in Edinburgh on steroid metabolism, before branching out with a Wellcome Career Development Fellowship and RCUK (UKRI) Fellowship to look at broader genetic mechanisms underpinning resistance to life-style-mediated obesity and metabolic disease. With a Wellcome Trust New Investigator Award, Diabetes Uk, MRC and BHF support, he established a team of scientists working on the mechanisms of “resilience genes” using a range of approaches from biochemical and cellular, to in vivo preclinical modelling and drug discovery, becoming Professor of Molecular Metabolism at the Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh. He took on a Director role for Post Graduate Research and led a successful British Heart Foundation PhD Programme renewal in 2021. Nik joined NTU in Spring 2023 as Professor of Metabolic Resilience and Director of the Centre for Systems Health and Integrated Metabolic Research.
Research areas
Genetics, biochemistry, physiology, metabolism, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease
External activity
Chair, Energy and Metabolism Panel (RAIII), Biochemical Society. BBSRC Pool of Experts member. Diabetes UK Panel (ECR, PhD, RD Lawrence and Grants). Reviewer MRC, BHF, DFG (Germany), DDEA (Denmark).
Publications
Kentistou KA, Luan J, Wittemans LBL, Hambly C, Klaric L, Kutalik Z, Speakman JR, Wareham NJ, Kendall TJ, Langenberg C, Wilson JF, Joshi PK, Morton NM.Nat Commun. 2023 Jan 19;14(1):307. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-35563-0.PMID: 36658113
The serotonin transporter sustains human brown adipose tissue thermogenesis.
Suchacki KJ, Ramage LE, Kwok TC, Kelman A, McNeill BT, Rodney S, Keegan M, Gray C, MacNaught G, Patel D, Fletcher AM, Simpson JP, Carter RN, Semple RK, Homer NZM, Morton NM, van Beek EJR, Wakelin SJ, Stimson RH.Nat Metab. 2023 Aug;5(8):1319-1336. doi: 10.1038/s42255-023-00839-2. Epub 2023 Aug 3.PMID: 37537371
Suchacki KJ, Thomas BJ, Ikushima YM, Chen KC, Fyfe C, Tavares AAS, Sulston RJ, Lovdel A, Woodward HJ, Han X, Mattiucci D, Brain EJ, Alcaide-Corral CJ, Kobayashi H, Gray GA, Whitfield PD, Stimson RH, Morton NM, Johnstone AM, Cawthorn WP.Elife. 2023 Apr 25;12:e88080. doi: 10.7554/eLife.88080.PMID: 37096321
Luo Y, Chatre L, Melhem S, Al-Dahmani ZM, Homer NZM, Miedema A, Deelman LE, Groves MR, Feelisch M, Morton NM, Dolga A, van Goor H.Redox Biol. 2023 Dec;68:102965. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102965. Epub 2023 Nov 19.PMID: 38000344
Hepatic hydrogen sulfide levels are reduced in mouse model of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.
Wilkie SE, Marcu DE, Carter RN, Morton NM, Gonzalo S, Selman C.Aging (Albany NY). 2023 Jun 23;15(12):5266-5278. doi: 10.18632/aging.204835. Epub 2023 Jun 23.PMID: 37354210
Šimon M, Mikec Š, Morton NM, Atanur SS, Konc J, Horvat S, Kunej T.Mamm Genome. 2023 Mar;34(1):12-31. doi: 10.1007/s00335-022-09967-8. Epub 2022 Nov 21.PMID: 36414820
Coding and regulatory variants are associated with serum protein levels and disease.
Emilsson V, Gudmundsdottir V, Gudjonsson A, Jonmundsson T, Jonsson BG, Karim MA, Ilkov M, Staley JR, Gudmundsson EF, Launer LJ, Lindeman JH, Morton NM, Aspelund T, Lamb JR, Jennings LL, Gudnason V.Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 25;13(1):481. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28081-6.PMID: 35079000
Genomic loci mispositioning in Tmem120a knockout mice yields latent lipodystrophy.
Czapiewski R, Batrakou DG, de Las Heras JI, Carter RN, Sivakumar A, Sliwinska M, Dixon CR, Webb S, Lattanzi G, Morton NM, Schirmer EC.Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 13;13(1):321. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-27869-2.PMID: 35027552
Al-Dahmani ZM, Li X, Wiggenhauser LM, Ott H, Kruithof PD, Lunev S, A Batista F, Luo Y, Dolga AM, Morton NM, Groves MR, Kroll J, van Goor H.Sci Rep. 2022 Jul 15;12(1):12077. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-16320-1.PMID: 35840638
Hughes RE, Elliott RJR, Li X, Munro AF, Makda A, Carter RN, Morton NM, Fujihara K, Clemons NJ, Fitzgerald R, O'Neill JR, Hupp T, Carragher NO.ACS Chem Biol. 2022 Jul 15;17(7):1876-1889. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00301. Epub 2022 Jun 13.PMID: 35696676
Mikec Š, Šimon M, Morton NM, Atanur SS, Konc J, Dovč P, Horvat S, Kunej T.Mol Biol Rep. 2022 Jun;49(6):4619-4631. doi: 10.1007/s11033-022-07309-0. Epub 2022 Mar 26.PMID: 35347545
The hepatic compensatory response to elevated systemic sulfide promotes diabetes.
Carter RN, Gibbins MTG, Barrios-Llerena ME, Wilkie SE, Freddolino PL, Libiad M, Vitvitsky V, Emerson B, Le Bihan T, Brice M, Su H, Denham SG, Homer NZM, Mc Fadden C, Tailleux A, Faresse N, Sulpice T, Briand F, Gillingwater T, Ahn KH, Singha S, McMaster C, Hartley RC, Staels B, Gray GA, Finch AJ, Selman C, Banerjee R, Morton NM.Cell Rep. 2021 Nov 9;37(6):109958. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109958.PMID: 34758301
JMJD6 promotes self-renewal and regenerative capacity of hematopoietic stem cells.
Lawson H, Sepulveda C, van de Lagemaat LN, Durko J, Barile M, Tavosanis A, Georges E, Shmakova A, Timms P, Carter RN, Allen L, Campos J, Vukovic M, Guitart AV, Giles P, O'Shea M, Vernimmen D, Morton NM, Rodrigues NP, Göttgens B, Schofield CJ, Lengeling A, O'Carroll D, Kranc KR.Blood Adv. 2021 Feb 9;5(3):889-899. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002702.PMID: 33560400
Mehta AR, Gregory JM, Dando O, Carter RN, Burr K, Nanda J, Story D, McDade K, Smith C, Morton NM, Mahad DJ, Hardingham GE, Chandran S, Selvaraj BT.Acta Neuropathol. 2021 Feb;141(2):257-279. doi: 10.1007/s00401-020-02252-5. Epub 2021 Jan 4.PMID: 33398403
Glucocorticoids regulate mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in fetal cardiomyocytes.
Ivy JR, Carter RN, Zhao JF, Buckley C, Urquijo H, Rog-Zielinska EA, Panting E, Hrabalkova L, Nicholson C, Agnew EJ, Kemp MW, Morton NM, Stock SJ, Wyrwoll C, Ganley IG, Chapman KE.J Physiol. 2021 Nov;599(21):4901-4924. doi: 10.1113/JP281860. Epub 2021 Sep 30.PMID: 34505639
Altered hypothalamic DNA methylation and stress-induced hyperactivity following early life stress.
Fitzgerald E, Sinton MC, Wernig-Zorc S, Morton NM, Holmes MC, Boardman JP, Drake AJ.Epigenetics Chromatin. 2021 Jun 30;14(1):31. doi: 10.1186/s13072-021-00405-8.PMID: 34193254
Roberts FL, Rashdan NA, Phadwal K, Markby GR, Dillon S, Zoll J, Berger J, Milne E, Orriss IR, Karsenty G, Le Saux O, Morton NM, Farquharson C, MacRae VE.J Cell Physiol. 2021 Jun;236(6):4614-4624. doi: 10.1002/jcp.30194. Epub 2020 Dec 10.PMID: 33305372
Barton SK, Magnani D, James OG, Livesey MR, Selvaraj BT, James OT, Perkins EM, Gregory JM, Cleary E, Ausems CRM, Carter RNC, Vasistha NA, Zhao C, Burr K, Story D, Cardinali A, Morton NM, Hardingham GE, Wyllie DJA, Chandran S.Brain Commun. 2021 Oct 26;3(4):fcab255. doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab255. eCollection 2021.PMID: 35350711
A human pluripotent stem cell model for the analysis of metabolic dysfunction in hepatic steatosis.
Sinton MC, Meseguer-Ripolles J, Lucendo-Villarin B, Wernig-Zorc S, Thomson JP, Carter RN, Lyall MJ, Walker PD, Thakker A, Meehan RR, Lavery GG, Morton NM, Ludwig C, Tennant DA, Hay DC, Drake AJ.iScience. 2020 Dec 11;24(1):101931. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101931. eCollection 2021 Jan 22.PMID: 33409477
Ablation of Enpp6 Results in Transient Bone Hypomineralization.
Dillon S, Suchacki K, Hsu SN, Stephen LA, Wang R, Cawthorn WP, Stewart AJ, Nudelman F, Morton NM, Farquharson C.JBMR Plus. 2020 Dec 8;5(2):e10439. doi: 10.1002/jbm4.10439. eCollection 2021 Feb.PMID: 33615108
PHOSPHO1 is a skeletal regulator of insulin resistance and obesity.
Suchacki KJ, Morton NM, Vary C, Huesa C, Yadav MC, Thomas BJ, Turban S, Bunger L, Ball D, Barrios-Llerena ME, Guntur AR, Khavandgar Z, Cawthorn WP, Ferron M, Karsenty G, Murshed M, Rosen CJ, MacRae VE, Millán JL, Farquharson C.BMC Biol. 2020 Oct 22;18(1):149. doi: 10.1186/s12915-020-00880-7.PMID: 33092598
Osteocalcin Regulates Arterial Calcification Via Altered Wnt Signaling and Glucose Metabolism.
Rashdan NA, Sim AM, Cui L, Phadwal K, Roberts FL, Carter R, Ozdemir DD, Hohenstein P, Hung J, Kaczynski J, Newby DE, Baker AH, Karsenty G, Morton NM, MacRae VE.J Bone Miner Res. 2020 Feb;35(2):357-367. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.3888. Epub 2019 Oct 29.PMID: 31596966
Tst gene mediates protection against palmitate-induced inflammation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Lainšček D, Šuštar U, Carter RN, Morton NM, Horvat S.Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2020 Jul 5;527(4):1008-1013. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.05.014. Epub 2020 May 20.PMID: 32444140
Wilkie SE, Mulvey L, Sands WA, Marcu DE, Carter RN, Morton NM, Hine C, Mitchell JR, Selman C.Geroscience. 2020 Apr;42(2):801-812. doi: 10.1007/s11357-020-00168-2. Epub 2020 Mar 11.PMID: 32162209
Bone marrow adipose tissue is a unique adipose subtype with distinct roles in glucose homeostasis.
Suchacki KJ, Tavares AAS, Mattiucci D, Scheller EL, Papanastasiou G, Gray C, Sinton MC, Ramage LE, McDougald WA, Lovdel A, Sulston RJ, Thomas BJ, Nicholson BM, Drake AJ, Alcaide-Corral CJ, Said D, Poloni A, Cinti S, Macpherson GJ, Dweck MR, Andrews JPM, Williams MC, Wallace RJ, van Beek EJR, MacDougald OA, Morton NM, Stimson RH, Cawthorn WP.Nat Commun. 2020 Jun 18;11(1):3097. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16878-2.PMID: 32555194
Forbes S, Bond AR, Thirlwell KL, Burgoyne P, Samuel K, Noble J, Borthwick G, Colligan D, McGowan NWA, Lewis PS, Fraser AR, Mountford JC, Carter RN, Morton NM, Turner ML, Graham GJ, Campbell JDM.Sci Transl Med. 2020 Jan 15;12(526):eaan5907. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan5907.PMID: 31941825
A human pluripotent stem cell model for the analysis of metabolic dysfunction in hepatic steatosis.
Sinton MC, Meseguer-Ripolles J, Lucendo-Villarin B, Wernig-Zorc S, Thomson JP, Carter RN, Lyall MJ, Walker PD, Thakker A, Meehan RR, Lavery GG, Morton NM, Ludwig C, Tennant DA, Hay DC, Drake AJ.iScience. 2020 Dec 11;24(1):101931. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101931. eCollection 2021 Jan 22.PMID: 33409477
Repurposing dichloroacetate for the treatment of women with endometriosis.
Horne AW, Ahmad SF, Carter R, Simitsidellis I, Greaves E, Hogg C, Morton NM, Saunders PTK.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Dec 17;116(51):25389-25391. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1916144116. Epub 2019 Dec 2.PMID: 31792175
Alfazema N, Barrier M, de Procé SM, Menzies RI, Carter R, Stewart K, Diaz AG, Moyon B, Webster Z, Bellamy COC, Arends MJ, Stimson RH, Morton NM, Aitman TJ, Coan PM.Hypertension. 2019 Sep;74(3):687-696. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.12409. Epub 2019 Jul 22.PMID: 31327268
Sirey TM, Roberts K, Haerty W, Bedoya-Reina O, Rogatti-Granados S, Tan JY, Li N, Heather LC, Carter RN, Cooper S, Finch AJ, Wills J, Morton NM, Marques AC, Ponting CP.Elife. 2019 May 2;8:e45051. doi: 10.7554/eLife.45051.PMID: 31045494
Press expertise
Nik has been involved in radio interviews, newspaper articles and public outreach.