Natalie Homer (BSc(Hons), PhD, FIBMS, FRSC)

Senior Research Fellow, Deputy Director Mass Spectrometry Core

  • Centre for Cardiovascular Science
  • Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research
  • Mass Spectrometry Core Facility

Contact details

Address

Street

UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science
Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research
Queen’s Medical Research Institute
47 Little France Crescent

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH16 4TJ

Biography

Background

I am an analytical chemist and biomedical scientist, using bioanalytical innovations to measure small molecules in a clinical and biological setting. With particular interest in quantitative steroid measurement to investigate the role of glucocorticoids, progesterones, estrogens, and androgens in humans, translating across to pre-clinical, avian and veterinary studies. I am also involved in investigations into other small molecule measurements including drugs, other lipid like molecules and metabolites of endogenous and exogenous molecules.

I have run the Mass Spectrometry Core, part of the Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility developing targeted and untargeted methodologies in LC-MS, GC-MS and mass spectrometry imaging for over two decades. With this experience working in a technology-driven core facility I am interested in how best to support the careers of those working in core facilities and with technology, underpinned by the Technician Commitment and aiming to improve research culture. 

Qualifications

1998 - BSc (Hons) Chemistry, University of Strathclyde

2002 - PhD - Chemistry, University of Strathclyde

Responsibilities & affiliations

2025 - Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry

2023 - Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science

2024 - date - Member of the Biochemical Society policy advisory panel (Scottish Representative) - Policy Advisory Panel

2023 - date - Vice Treasurer for the Core Technologies for Life Sciences - link

2022 - date - Treasurer for the Scottish Metabolomics Network - link

2022 - Founding member of the Technology Specialists Network - link

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Areas of interest for supervision

Subject to securing funding

Current PhD students supervised

Morag Milne - EastBio - University of St.Andrews

Past PhD students supervised

Margaux Billen - University of Edinburgh

Sarah Gregory - University of Edinburgh

Tom Grove - University of Edinburgh

Abdullah Faqehi - University of Edinburgh

Current project grants

Wellcome Trust Research Culture - Homer, N. (Principal Investigator) & Murphy, L. (Co-investigator) - "Research Technical Professionals: Recognising Leadership & Expertise" (1/05/25 → 30/06/26)

BBSRC ALERT equipment - Homer, N. (Principal Investigator), Andrew, R. (Co-investigator), Morgan, R. (Co-investigator), Nixon, M. (Co-investigator), Reynolds, R. (Co-investigator), Stimson, R. (Co-investigator), Denham, S. (Researcher), Meddle, S. (Co-Investigator) & Simpson, J. (Researcher) - "Unravelling challenges to lifelong health by next generation Mass Spectrometry"(1/10/24 → 30/09/25)

EPSRC STP - Hancox, I., Filby, A., O'Toole, P., Homer N.Z., Murphy, L., Bennett, S., Herniman, J., Johnston, S., Sossick A., Luebben, A., Adams, R., Leadley, D., Waldron, C. "Delivering Knowledge, Skills and Opportunities to RTPs Nationally Leveraging the UK Technology Specialist Network (TSN)" - (01/05/2024 - 30/04/2027)

BBSRC FTMA - Clarke, J., Campilongo, R., Homer, N.Z.M., O'Toole, P., Elliot, E., LeFeuver, R., Rosser, S., Sedgley, K., Shepherd, S., Frame, F.., "Engineering Biology FTMA" - (01/03/2024-01/03/2027)

BBSRC Research Grant - Meddle, S. (Principal Investigator), Andrew, R. (Co-investigator), Homer, N. (Co-investigator) & Homer, N. (Co-investigator) - "The transition from a sexual to a parental brain via nest building" (1/12/23 → 30/11/26)

Past project grants

Rosetrees Trust Seedcorn - Homer, N. (Principal Investigator) - "Assessing feasibility of saliva samples to profile progesterone for infertility treatment monitoring" (4/03/24 → 28/02/25)

BBSRC ALERT equipment - Andrew, R. (Principal Investigator), Homer, N. (Co-investigator) & Reynolds, R. (Co-investigator) - "High Resolution Mass Spectrometry to enhance hormonal profiling across the lifespan" (1/08/21 → 31/12/22)

MRC Confidence in Concept - Webster, S. (Principal Investigator), Carragher, N. (Co-I), Homer, N.Z. (CoI), "Generating small molecule inhibitors of ENPP1 for cancer treatment" (1/02/21 → 30/06/22)

Medical Research Scotland - Von Kriegsheim, A. (Principal Investigator), Blanco-Rodriguez, G. (CoI), Homer, N.Z.M. (CoI) - "Deep mass spectrometry analysis of plasma samples from Covid-19 patients" (1/07/20 → 15/12/20)

MRC Confidence In Concept - Chambers, T. (Principal Investigator) & Homer, N. (Co-investigator) - "Development for a novel assay to detect glucocorticoid induced adrenal insufficiency" (01/08/18 → 29/02/20)

MRC Confidence in Concept - Eddleston, M. (Principal Investigator), Homer, N. (Co-investigator) & Wilson, J. (Co-investigator) - "Re-purposing sulbutiamine - development of a well-absorbed oral thiamine formulation to prevent thiamine deficiency and its complications" (1/06/18 → 31/12/19)

Invited speaker

July 2025 - 'Developing methods for multiple steroid hormones' RSC Solutions In Science, Brighton - programme

March 2025 - 'From humans to mice to lions; profiling steroids' International Conference on Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Bombay IIT, Mumbai, India - programme

February 2025 - 'From one steroid to many molecules', University of St.Andrews - programme

October 2024 - British Mass Spectrometry Society - Scottish Special Interest Group, University of Glasgow - "Lessons learned targeting small molecules" - programme

Organiser

November 2025 - Scottish Metabolomics Network Symposium, University of Edinburgh (in progress)

April 2025 - Technology Specialists Network Meeting, University of York

October 2024 - Scottish Metabolomics Network Symposium, University of Stirling - programme

June 2024 - TEAMS Biomarkers in Health and Disease, IGC, University of Edinburgh - programme

April 2024 - Technology Specialists Network Meeting, University of Bath

November 2023 - Scottish Metabolomics Network Symposium, East Kilbride - programme

April 2023 - Technology Specialists Network Meeting, University of Edinburgh

November 2022 - Scottish Metabolomics Network Symposium, Aberdeen - programme

September 2019 - European Network Oxysterol Research (ENOR), University of Edinburgh - 9th ENOR 

March 2019 - The Edinburgh Association of Mass Spectrometrists (TEAMS), Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh

Papers delivered

Sept 2025 - BMSS2025 - Samar Alzeer, Joanna Simpson, Scott Denham, Michael Eddleston, Natalie ZM Homer "Challenges in LC-MS/MS method development for studying flumazenil and benzodiazepines pharmacokinetics in overdose subjects"

Sept 2025 - BMSS2025 - Scott Denham, Joanna Simpson, Scott Peterman, Alan Atkins, Natalie ZM Homer "Exploring mixed-mode fragmentation in targeted MS3 for steroid profiling on a nominal mass instrument"

 

 

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