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Craig Doig

Craig Doig

Associate Professor

School of Science & Technology

Staff Group(s)
Bioscience

Role

Craig Doig is an Associate Professor of Metabolic Health in the Department of Biosciences. His research asks a simple question: how do the hormones we make and the nutrients we eat work together to keep us healthy — and what goes wrong in conditions such as obesity, Age-related disease, type 2 diabetes and muscle wasting?

His laboratory focuses on two connected themes: stress hormones (glucocorticoids, such as cortisol) and how they change the way muscle and fat use energy; and a group of NAD+ dependent enzymes (PARPs) that fine-tune how genes respond to hormones and nutrients. Together, this work helps explain everyday health problems.

Craig also co-directs the UKRI BBSRC-funded NOBLE Network (New Investigator Obesity and Metabolism), a UK-wide network connecting metabolism researchers with industry partners. He is a member of two UKRI BBSRC research funding panels and holds editorial roles with leading endocrinology and physiology journals.

Fully funded PhD studentships are available in the lab. Opportunities also arise to study for an MPhil or PhD in the areas below — please email Craig directly for further information.

Career overview

Before moving into academic research, Craig worked as a Research Scientist in industry with 3M Health Care, working alongside AstraZeneca, Merck and Sanofi-Aventis. He completed his PhD in Molecular Medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, studying how cancer cells switch genes on and off in response to hormone signals.

He then trained as a postdoctoral researcher in hormone biology and metabolism at the University of Birmingham, within the Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism and the Institute of Metabolism & Systems Research. There, he uncovered how steroid hormones shape the behaviour of tissues such as brown fat and skeletal muscle, work that helped define current understanding of hormones, metabolism and mitochondrial (cellular energy) function.

Craig joined Nottingham Trent University in 2018 as Senior Lecturer in Metabolic Health and was appointed Associate Professor in 2023. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Alongside his research, he leads doctoral training as Postgraduate Research Coordinator for Biosciences and the SHiMR research centre, and has secured over £1million in external research funding from bodies including UKRI BBSRC, the Ministry of Defence, learned societies and industry.

Research areas

Craig is interested in how hormones, nutrients and metabolic stress interact to control the body in health, activity and disease. His main research areas are:

  • Metabolic health and metabolic disease — how the body produces and uses energy, and how this breaks down in disease.
  • Hormones and the endocrine system (endocrinology) — especially stress hormones (glucocorticoids and cortisol) and other steroid hormones.
  • Muscle health and skeletal muscle metabolism — including muscle wasting caused by steroids, ageing and inflammation.
  • NAD+ and vitamin B3 metabolism — how these molecules power cells, and their role in nutritional supplements and healthy ageing.
  • Nutrition and dietary supplements — evidence-based study of supplements such as beta-alanine and carnosine for metabolic and heart health.
  • Sex differences and physiology in extreme environments — how metabolism and stress responses differ between men and women.

Fully funded PhD studentships are available in this lab. Opportunities arise to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil / PhD in the areas identified above. Further information may be obtained on the NTU Research Degrees website.

External activity

UKRI BBSRC Funding Panel Committee D: Cells and Molecules & Biotechnology

UKRI BBSRC Funding Panel Committee C: Genes, Development & STEM approaches

UKRI BBSRC Panel of Experts.

European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant Reviewer

Dutch Research Council Reviewer

NovoNordisk Ascending Investigator Reviewer

Editor, The Journal of Physiology, Obesity from Molecules to Medicine.

Associate Editor, The Endocrinologist. (2021 – 2025)

Editorial Board, The Endocrinologist. (2020 – 2021)

Editorial Board, The Journal of Endocrinology.

Editorial Board, The Journal of Molecular Endocrinology.

Publications

  1. Carnosine-related metabolism in rat cardiomyocytes and human heart tissue.Creighton JV,  Gonçalves LS, Gil S, Vargas BS, Jensen L, Gennari de Medeiros MH, Roschel H, Turner MD,Doig CL, Artioli GG,  Sale C. FASEB 2026. June
  2. Beta-Alanine Provides Partial Protection Against the Development of Symptoms Driven by Glucocorticoid Excess. Heaselgrave SR, Deng M,Lavery GG, Doig CL. Amino Acids. 2026. June
  3. Glucocorticoid excess disrupts NAD+ homeostasis differentially in male and female mice. Heaselgrave SR, Heising S, Morgan SA, Cartwright DM, Ludwig C, Treebak JT, Tsintzas K, Lavery GG, Doig CL. Journal of Endocrinology. 2026.
  4. Cytoplasmic NAD/H synthesis via NRK1 regulates inflammatory capacity and promotes survival of CD4(+) T cells. Stavrou V, Ali M, Gudgeon N, Bishop EL, Fulton-Ward T, Turley B, Heising S, Mohamed SH, Hain S, George L, Deng M, McCowan J, Sheriff L, Davies SP, Marzullo B, Tennant DA, Doig CL, Bending DA, Roberts EW, Lavery GG, Drummond RA, Dimeloe S.  Nature Communications. 2026 Feb 4;17(1). PubMed PMID: 41639086.
  5. β-alanine supplementation in adults with overweight and obesity: a randomized controlled feasibility trial. Matthews JJ, Creighton JV, Donaldson J, Swinton PA, Kyrou I, Bellary S, Idris I, Santos L, Turner MD, Doig CL, Elliott-Sale KJ, Sale C. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2025 Feb;33(2):278-288.  PubMed PMID: 39800667.
  6. Sex-related hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis adaptation during military training. Gifford RM, O'Leary TJ, Knight RL, Wardle SL, Doig CL, Anderson RA, Greeves JP, Reynolds RM, Woods DR. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2025 Jan 1;138(1):13-21. PubMed PMID: 39589823.
  7. Glucocorticoid excess alters metabolic rate and substrate utilisation via 11β-HSD1. Heaselgrave SR, Heising S, Morgan SA, Carthwright DM, Sagmeister M, Hardy RS, Doig CL, Morton N, Tsintzas K, Lavery GG. Journal of Endocrinology. 2024 Nov 1;263(2). PubMed PMID: 39302000.
  8. Contribution of local regeneration of glucocorticoids to tissue steroid pools. Khan S, Livingstone DEW, Zielinska A, Doig CL, Cobice DF, Esteves CL, Man JTY, Homer NZM, Seckl JR, MacKay CL, Webster SP, Lavery GG, Chapman KE, Walker BR, Andrew R. Journal of Endocrinology. 2023 Sep 1;258(3). PubMed PMID: 37343234.
  9. PARP1 mediated PARylation contributes to myogenic progression and glucocorticoid transcriptional response. Tan A, Younis AZ, Evans A, Creighton JV, Coveny C, Boocock DJ, Sale C, Lavery GG, Coutts AS, Doig CL.  Cell Death Discovery. 2023 Apr 22;9(1):133. PubMed PMID: 37087471.
  10. Rapid isolation of respiring skeletal muscle mitochondria using nitrogen cavitation. Younis AZ, Lavery GG, Christian M, Doig CL. Frontiers in Physiology. 2023 ;14:1114595. PubMed PMID: 36960150.
  11. Nicotinamide riboside has minimal impact on energy metabolism in mouse models of mild obesity. Cartwright DM, Oakey LA, Fletcher RS, Doig CL, Heising S, Larner DP, Nasteska D, Berry CE, Heaselgrave SR, Ludwig C, Hodson DJ, Lavery GG, Garten A. Journal of Endocrinology. 2021 Sep 9;251(1):111-123. PubMed PMID: 34370682.
  12. Carnosine protects stimulus-secretion coupling through prevention of protein carbonyl adduction events in cells under  metabolic stress.  Lavilla CJ, Billacura MP, Hanna K, Boocock DJ, Coveney C, Miles AK, Foulds GA, Murphy A, Tan A, Jackisch L, Sayers SR, Caton PW, Doig CL, McTernan PG, Colombo SL, Sale C, Turner MD. Free Radical Biology Med. 2021 Nov 1;175:65-79. PubMed PMID: 34455039.
  13. Induction of the nicotinamide riboside kinase NAD(+) salvage pathway in a model of sarcoplasmic reticulum dysfunction. Doig CL, Zielinska AE, Fletcher RS, Oakey LA, Elhassan YS, Garten A, Cartwright D, Heising S, Alsheri A, Watson DG, Prehn C, Adamski J, Tennant DA, Lavery GG. Skeletal Muscle. 2020 Feb 19;10(1):5.  PubMed PMID: 32075690.
  14. 11β-HSD1 plays a critical role in trabecular bone loss associated with systemic glucocorticoid therapy. Fenton CG, Doig CL, Fareed S, Naylor A, Morrell AP, Addison O, Wehmeyer C, Buckley CD, Cooper MS, Lavery GG, Raza K, Hardy RS. Arthritis Research & Therapy. 2019 Aug 16;21(1):188. PubMed PMID: 31420008.
  15. Nicotinamide Riboside Augments the Aged Human Skeletal Muscle NAD(+) Metabolome and Induces Transcriptomic and Anti-inflammatory Signatures. Elhassan YS, Kluckova K, Fletcher RS, Schmidt MS, Garten A, Doig CL, Cartwright DM, Oakey L, Burley CV, Jenkinson N, Wilson M, Lucas SJE, Akerman I, Seabright A, Lai YC, Tennant DA, Nightingale P, Wallis GA, Manolopoulos KN, Brenner C, Philp A, Lavery GG. Cell Reports. 2019 Aug 13;28(7):1717-1728.e6. PubMed PMID: 31412242.
  16. Metabolic tracing reveals novel adaptations to skeletal muscle cell energy production pathways in response to NAD (+) depletion. Oakey LA, Fletcher RS, Elhassan YS, Cartwright DM, Doig CL, Garten A, Thakker A, Maddocks ODK, Zhang T, Tennant DA, Ludwig C, Lavery GG. Wellcome Open Research. 2018;3:147. PubMed PMID: 30607371.
  17. Nicotinamide Nucleotide Transhydrogenase as a Novel Treatment Target in Adrenocortical Carcinoma. Chortis V, Taylor AE, Doig CL, Walsh MD, Meimaridou E, Jenkinson C, Rodriguez-Blanco G, Ronchi CL, Jafri A, Metherell LA, Hebenstreit D, Dunn WB, Arlt W, Foster PA. Endocrinology. 2018 Aug 1;159(8):2836-2849. PubMed PMID: 29850793.
  18. Glucocorticoids Reprogram β-Cell Signaling to Preserve Insulin Secretion. Fine NHF, Doig CL, Elhassan YS, Vierra NC, Marchetti P, Bugliani M, Nano R, Piemonti L, Rutter GA, Jacobson DA, Lavery GG, Hodson DJ. Diabetes. 2018 Feb;67(2):278-290. PubMed PMID: 29203512.
  19. Cellular and genetic models of H6PDH and 11β-HSD1 function in skeletal muscle. Zielinska AE, Fletcher RS, Sherlock M, Doig CL, Lavery GG. Cell Biochemistry & Function. 2017 Jul;35(5):269-277. PubMed PMID: 28749080.
  20. 11β-HSD1 Modulates the Set Point of Brown Adipose Tissue Response to Glucocorticoids in Male Mice. Doig CL, Fletcher RS, Morgan SA, McCabe EL, Larner DP, Tomlinson JW, Stewart PM, Philp A, Lavery GG. Endocrinology. 2017 Jun 1;158(6):1964-1976. PubMed PMID: 28368470.
  21. Nicotinamide riboside kinases display redundancy in mediating nicotinamide mononucleotide and nicotinamide riboside metabolism in skeletal muscle cells. Fletcher RS, Ratajczak J, Doig CL, Oakey LA, Callingham R, Da Silva Xavier G, Garten A, Elhassan YS, Redpath P, Migaud ME, Philp A, Brenner C, Canto C, Lavery GG. Molecular Metabolism. 2017 Aug;6(8):819-832. PubMed PMID: 28752046.
  22. 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 within muscle protects against the adverse effects of local inflammation. Hardy RS, Doig CL, Hussain Z, O'Leary M, Morgan SA, Pearson MJ, Naylor A, Jones SW, Filer A, Stewart PM, Buckley CD, Lavery GG, Cooper MS, Raza K. Journal of Pathology. 2016 Dec;240(4):472-483. PubMed PMID: 27578244.
  23. Male 11β-HSD1 Knockout Mice Fed Trans-Fats and Fructose Are Not Protected From Metabolic Syndrome or Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Larner DP, Morgan SA, Gathercole LL, Doig CL, Guest P, Weston C, Hazeldine J, Tomlinson JW, Stewart PM, Lavery GG. Endocrinology. 2016 Sep;157(9):3493-504. PubMed PMID: 27384305.
  24. Glucocorticoids and 11β-HSD1 are major regulators of intramyocellular protein metabolism. Morgan SA, Hassan-Smith ZK, Doig CL, Sherlock M, Stewart PM, Lavery GG. Journal of Endocrinology. 2016 Jun;229(3):277-86. PubMed PMID: 27048233.
  25. Knockdown of AKR1C3 exposes a potential epigenetic susceptibility in prostate cancer cells. Doig CL, Battaglia S, Khanim FL, Bunce CM, Campbell MJ. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. 2016 Jan;155(Pt A):47-55. PubMed PMID: 26429394.
  26. TNFα-mediated Hsd11b1 binding of NF-κB p65 is associated with suppression of 11β-HSD1 in muscle. Doig CL, Bashir J, Zielinska AE, Cooper MS, Stewart PM, Lavery GG. Journal of  Endocrinology. 2014 Mar;220(3):389-96. PubMed PMID: 24413279.
  27. Epigenetic distortion to VDR transcriptional regulation in prostate cancer cells. Singh PK, Doig CL, Dhiman VK, Turner BM, Smiraglia DJ, Campbell MJ. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. 2013 Jul;136:258-63. PubMed PMID: 23098689.
  28. Recruitment of NCOR1 to VDR target genes is enhanced in prostate cancer cells and associates with altered DNA methylation patterns. Doig CL, Singh PK, Dhiman VK, Thorne JL, Battaglia S, Sobolewski M, Maguire O, O'Neill LP, Turner BM, McCabe CJ, Smiraglia DJ, Campbell MJ. Carcinogenesis. 2013 Feb;34(2):248-56. PubMed PMID: 23087083.
  29. A switch in hepatic cortisol metabolism across the spectrum of non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Ahmed A, Rabbitt E, Brady T, Brown C, Guest P, Bujalska IJ, Doig C, Newsome PN, Hubscher S, Elias E, Adams DH, Tomlinson JW, Stewart PM. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e29531. PubMed PMID: 22363403.
  30. Epigenetic control of a VDR-governed feed-forward loop that regulates p21(waf1/cip1) expression and function in non-malignant prostate cells. Thorne JL, Maguire O, Doig CL, Battaglia S, Fehr L, Sucheston LE, Heinaniemi M, O'Neill LP, McCabe CJ, Turner BM, Carlberg C, Campbell MJ.  Nucleic Acids Research. 2011 Mar;39(6):2045-56. PubMed PMID: 21088000.
  31. Elevated NCOR1 disrupts PPARalpha/gamma signaling in prostate cancer and forms a targetable epigenetic lesion. Battaglia S, Maguire O, Thorne JL, Hornung LB, Doig CL, Liu S, Sucheston LE, Bianchi A, Khanim FL, Gommersall LM, Coulter HS, Rakha S, Giddings I, O'Neill LP, Cooper CS, McCabe CJ, Bunce CM, Campbell MJ. Carcinogenesis. 2010 Sep;31(9):1650-60. PubMed PMID: 20466759.
  32. Pituitary tumor transforming gene binding factor: a new gene in breast cancer. Watkins RJ, Read ML, Smith VE, Sharma N, Reynolds GM, Buckley L, Doig C, Campbell MJ, Eggo MC, Loubiere LS, Franklyn JA, Boelaert K, McCabe CJ. Cancer Research. 2010 May 1;70(9):3739-49. PubMed PMID: 20406982.

REVIEW ARTICLES

  1. Physiological Basis of Sex Differences in Human Performance and Exercise-Associated Pathology. Holdsworth DA, O'Leary TJ, Doig CL, Taylor N, Dosanjh J, Woods DR, Stacey MJ, Gifford RM. Clinical Endocrinology (Oxf). 2026 Apr 29. PubMed PMID: 42057283.
  2. Roles of ADP-Ribosylation during Infection Establishment by Trypanosomatidae Parasites.  Dowling J, Doig CL. Pathogens. 2023 May 12;12(5). PubMed PMID: 37242378.
  3. Physiological Roles of Carnosine in Myocardial Function and Health. Creighton JV, de Souza Gonçalves L, Artioli GG, Tan D, Elliott-Sale KJ, Turner MD, Doig CL, Sale C. Advances in Nutrition. 2022 Oct 2;13(5):1914-1929. PubMed PMID: 35689661.
  4. NAD(+) Degrading Enzymes, Evidence for Roles During Infection.  Tan A, Doig CL. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. 2021;8:697359. PubMed PMID: 34485381.
  5. PARP Inhibitors: Staying on Target?. Doig CL, Lavery GG. Cell Chemical Biology. 2016 Dec 22;23(12):1442-1443. PubMed PMID: 28009975