Prof Nik Rattray - University of Strathclyde
Nicholas Rattray is a Professor of Clinical Metabolism at the University of Strathclyde. He earned his PhD from the University of Manchester (2012) and MChem in Medicinal Chemistry from Manchester Metropolitan University (2008). A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, his career spans roles at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Yale School of Public Health and Strathclyde, including Research Scientist and Chancellor’s Research Fellow positions. As Principal Investigator, Nicholas leads a research group of 8members that focus on biomolecular metabolic models of ageing and cancer, focusing on energy metabolism dysregulation in frailty. His team integrates advanced LCMS based bioanalytical methods with AI-driven analysis of large-scale biobank data to uncover mechanisms of senescence and early cancer detection. He has published over 80 papers and secured more than £5M in funding. Current projects include a national clinical trial framework for predictive frailty biomarkers in cancer surgery and opioid addiction, supported by a Royal Society Industry Fellowship. His pioneering work defined metabolic signatures of frailty, recognized internationally as a reference in ageing research. Nicholas also founded the Strathclyde Centre for Molecular Bioscience, driving over 30 active projects annually and serves as Director of the International Metabolomics Society (https://metabolomicssociety.org/board-committees/board-of-directors/) and Chair of the Scottish Metabolomics Network (https://scottishmetabolomics.net/services).
The ageing population represents one of the greatest clinical and public health challenges of the 21st century, with the World Health Organization projecting that adults aged ≥60 years will increase from 605 million in 2000 to 2 billion by 2050. Ageing is characterised by reduced resilience to stressors, impaired biomolecular function, and increased vulnerability to adverse outcomes, underscoring the need for early biochemical markers to guide clinical practice. Metabolomics offers a powerful approach to characterise ageing biology, but interpretation requires integration with genetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data. Using a systems biogerontology framework combining mass spectrometry-based metabolic modelling and Mendelian randomisation, we identified 12 dysregulated energy-linked metabolites within glycolytic, carnitine shuttle, and vitamin E pathways. Building on this, we applied LC-MS metabolomics to a prospective cohort of 150 emergency laparotomy (EmLap) patients aged ≥40 years to identify frailty-related biomarkers. Frailty (ClinicalFrailty Scale >4) was present in 10% of patients and associated with distinct metabolic profiles across five perioperative time points. Hierarchical clustering revealed metabolite signatures of post-surgical dysregulation, and LASSO regression identified 15 pre-surgical metabolites predictive of surgical response. These findings highlight metabolomics as a promising tool for frailty assessment and personalised perioperative care, warranting validation in larger cohorts.
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