Roland Stimson
Professor of Endocrinology

Address
- Street
-
The Queen's Medical Research Centre
Edinburgh BioQuarter
47 Little France Crescent - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH16 4TJ
Background
I was born in Glasgow and completed medical undergraduate training in Edinburgh in 2001. After undertaking a PhD investigating glucocorticoid metabolism in obesity at the University of Edinburgh, I completed my clinical training in 2013. I obtained an MRC Clinician Scientist fellowship in 2013 and a Scottish Senior Clinical Academic fellowship in 2018 investigating the regulation of brown adipose tissue activation and its role in cardiometabolic health.
Qualifications
MBChB, PhD, FRCP(Ed)
Research summary
I am a Scottish Senior Clinical Academic Fellow with research interests in obesity and associated metabolic disease. My senior fellowship is focused on determining how we can safely increase energy expenditure as a novel treatment for metabolic disease. We have recently discovered novel mechanisms regulating human brown adipose tissue activation and shown that this regulation differs between species. To understand how energy expenditure by human brown adipose tissue and other tissues is controlled, we use a variety of techniques ranging from in vivo experimental medicine in humans to in vitro cell culture models. We have developed novel in vivo tools to dissect human brown adipose tissue physiology and energy metabolism.
My other research interests include understanding the causes of obesity and type 2 diabetes, the role of adipose tissue function in metabolic health, and understanding tissue-specific glucocorticoid action in the pathophysiology of metabolic disease.
Project activity
Our current research is focusing on substrate utilisation by human brown adipose tissue (Weir et al, Cell Metab 2018), identifying novel regulators of human brown adipose tissue function (Suchacki et al, Nat Metab 2023), and understanding species-specific regulation of brown adipose tissue (Ramage et al, Cell Metab 2016) to identify novel pathways amenable to therapeutic manipulation. For this research we use a variety of human experimental medicine techniques including positron emission tomography, microdialysis and stable isotope tracer infusion, in combination with primary cell culture models.
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Changes in continuous glucose monitoring metrics and predictors of improvement 12 months after conversion from Freestyle Libre to Freestyle Libre 2
In:
Diabetic Medicine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dme.15130
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
The effects of caloric restriction on adipose tissue and metabolic health are sex- and age-dependent
In:
eLIFE
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.88080
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
11β-HSD1 inhibition in men mitigates prednisolone-induced adverse effects in a proof-of-concept randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial
In:
Nature Communications, vol. 14
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36541-w
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Interest in hybrid closed loop is high across the socioeconomic spectrum despite current inequalities in provision in a large UK diabetes centre
In:
Diabetic Medicine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dme.15058
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Letter (Published) -
Hypoxia-driven metabolic reprogramming of adipocytes fuels cancer cell proliferation
(12 pages)
In:
Frontiers in Endocrinology, vol. 13
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.989523
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The ATP-binding cassette proteins ABCB1 and ABCC1 as modulators of glucocorticoid action
In:
Nature reviews endocrinology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-022-00745-9
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Mapping Endocrine Networks by Stable Isotope Tracing
In:
Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100381
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (E-pub ahead of print) -
C-type natriuretic peptide is a pivotal regulator of metabolic homeostasis
In:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2116470119
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
ABCC1 modulates negative feedback control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in vivo in humans
In:
Metabolism, vol. 128
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2021.155118
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The effects of caloric restriction on adipose tissue and metabolic health are sex- and age-dependent
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.20.481222
Research output: › Preprint (Published) -
A systems-level analysis of total-body PET data reveals complex skeletal metabolism networks in vivo
In:
Frontiers in Medicine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.740615
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Role of Tim4 in the regulation of ABCA1+ adipose tissue macrophages and post-prandial cholesterol levels
In:
Nature Communications
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24684-7
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Nutritional Regulation of Human Brown Adipose Tissue
In:
Nutrients, vol. 13, pp. 1748
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13061748
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Human Brown Adipose Tissue as a Therapeutic Target - Warming up or Cooling Down?
In:
European Journal of Endocrinology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-20-1439
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Identification of human glucocorticoid response markers using integrated multi-omic analysis from a randomized crossover trial
In:
eLIFE
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.62236
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Adipocyte Integrin-Linked Kinase Plays a Key Role in the Development of Diet-Induced Adipose Insulin Resistance in Male Mice
In:
Molecular Metabolism
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101197
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Substantial HbA1c reduction following intermittent-scanning continuous glucose monitoring commencement was not associated with early worsening of retinopathy in adults with type 1 diabetes and high baseline HbA1c
In:
Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1932296821994091
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Assessment of the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on glycaemic control in people with type 1 diabetes using flash glucose monitoring
In:
Diabetic Medicine, vol. 38
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dme.14374
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Effects of Obesity And Insulin on Tissue-Specific Recycling Between Cortisol And Cortisone in Men
In:
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa896
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
HbA1c reduction following flash monitoring commencement is not independently associated with adverse diabetic eye disease outcomes in type 1 diabetes
In:
BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001668
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print)