The group was the first worldwide to demonstrate that human skeletal muscle possesses an epigenetic memory of muscle growth (hypertrophy) following exercise, and that molecular memory signatures persist after repeated periods of muscle loss (atrophy) during physical inactivity in both young and aged muscle.
Research within the group focuses on how DNA methylation regulation and related mechanisms shape skeletal muscle adaptation, growth, wasting, and cellular reprogramming with ageing, disease, and exercise.
Scientific Standing and Outputs
The programme is led by Professor Adam P Sharples, ranked 6th globally for skeletal muscle research over the past five years and listed among the top 2 percent of scientists worldwide. The group has produced over 100 publications/outputs, including senior author papers in Physiological Reviews, Trends in Genetics (Cell Press), Advanced Science, Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, Biomaterials, Aging Cell, Cell Reports (Cell Press), Scientific Data, Journal of Cellular Physiology, Journal of Physiology, and AJP - Cell Physiology.
This work has driven major advances in understanding how human skeletal muscle remodels in response to training, disuse, and ageing.
Global Recognition
The group’s discoveries have attracted widespread global media attention, including coverage in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired Magazine, The Guardian, NewScientist, CNN, Discover Magazine, Aftenposten, NZZ, and TV2 Norway. Recent features in The Atlantic highlighted the molecular basis of muscle memory and its broad scientific and societal impact.
The research programme collaborates with scientists across over 15 international countries, reflecting its global reach and interdisciplinary impact.
Major Research Funding and Programmes
The group has held major competitive funding, including a Research Council of Norway project (NOK 10 million) investigating whether skeletal muscle retains a molecular memory of wasting and identifying mechanisms underlying susceptibility to age-related atrophy.
The group is a key partner in the Novo Nordisk Foundation programme EMMA (Epigenetic Memory of Mitochondrial Function in Ageing Skeletal Muscle) (DKK 16.99 million; NOK 26.8 million), integrating deep multi-omics with human interventions and mechanistic biology.
Additional ongoing work includes the TestoMEM clinical study, examining hormonal regulation of skeletal muscle memory.
Research Approach and Methodologies
The group investigates whether skeletal muscle retains a molecular memory encoded through epigenetic modifications following exercise, growth, and wasting. Research combines:
• Human intervention studies (e.g., exercise training, pharmacological hormone administration)
• Muscle stem cell isolation, monolayer and 3D engineered muscle models
• Advanced cell and molecular biology
• Integrated multi-omics analyses (methylome, transcriptome, proteome)
Current Collaborations
The group maintains a strong international collaboration network spanning Europe, North America, and Australia.
Ongoing and Strategic Collaborations
• Professor Tinna Stevnsner and Professor Kristian Vissing (Aarhus University, Denmark): collaboration within the Novo Nordisk Foundation EMMA programme, integrating mitochondrial biology, ageing, and epigenetic regulation of skeletal muscle through multi-omics and human intervention studies.
• Dr Daniel Turner (Assistant Professor, University of Pavia, Italy): ongoing collaboration in the molecular regulation of muscle mass and epigenetic memory, following PhD training within the group and recent contribution to the RCN project.
• Dr Jaakko Hentillä and Professor Jarna Hannukainen (University of Turku, Finland), and Professor Riikka Kivelä (University of Jyväskylä, Finland): genome-wide DNA methylation and transcriptomic analyses in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle of BMI-discordant twins; manuscripts in preparation.
• Dr Mark Viggars (University of Florida, USA): Circadian epigenetic regulation of ageing skeletal muscle and the impact of exercise.
• Professor Jonas T Treebak (University of Copenhagen, Denmark): NAD biology in the regulation of muscle atrophy.
Published Collaborations
• Professor Nir Eynon (Monash University, Australia) and Associate Professor Sarah Voisin (University of Copenhagen, Denmark): Several manuscripts e.g., Aging Cell and Cell Reports.
• Professor Juha Hulmi (University of Jyväskylä, Finland): Journal of Physiology.
• Associate Professor Simone Porcelli (University of Pavia, Italy) and Dr Andrea Pillotto (University of Padua, Italy): AJP - Cell Physiology (joint corresponding authorship).
Established Networks
• Nordic Muscle Working Group: including Professor Kristian Vissing, Associate Professor Niklas Psilander, Professor Kristian Gundersen, Professor Truls Raastad, and Professor Juha Hulmi, coordinating Nordic research strategy.
Completed and Continuing Partnerships
• Professor Sue Bodine and Assistant Professor David Hughes (University of Iowa and OMRF, USA): completed RCN project investigating whether skeletal muscle retains a molecular memory of wasting with ongoing collaboration and new grant applications. This work includes identification of UBR5 as a novel epigenetic muscle memory gene, with subsequent studies demonstrating its role in regulating protein synthesis and degradation pathways controlling skeletal muscle mass.
• Professor Jonathan Jarvis and Associate Professor Daniel Owens (Liverpool John Moores University, UK): completed RCN project with ongoing UK and Norway grant applications in rodent models of hypertrophy and atrophy (Jarvis) and metabolomics (Owens).
Clinical and Translational Collaborations
• Associate Professor Astrid Kristine Bjørnebekk, Professor Per Medbøe Thorsby, and Dr Yvette Dehnes (University of Oslo / Norwegian Doping Control Laboratory): clinical studies investigating testosterone administration and epigenetic memory of steroids in human skeletal muscle.
Historical Collaborations
The group has built a strong foundation of international collaborations underpinning major advances in skeletal muscle biology and epigenetics.
Key collaborators include Professor Claire Stewart, Professor Mark Lewis, and Dr Neil Martin (Loughborough, UK) in muscle biology and bioengineering; Assistant Professor Daniel C Turner (University of Pavia, Italy) and Dr Robert Seaborne (Kings College London) in epigenetic muscle memory; and Professor James Morton, Professor Graeme Close, Professor Barry Drust, and Professor Brendan Egan in exercise metabolism and physiology.
Research Team
• Professor Adam P Sharples - Group Leader and Principal Investigator
• Professor Truls Raastad - Senior Group Member (Molecular Physiology)
• Juulia Lautaoja-Kivipelto - Postdoctoral Fellow (EMMA programme)
• Daniel Tømmerbakke - PhD Candidate
• Linn Guro Olsen - Bioengineer
• Siri Taxerås Dalen - Senior Bioengineer
Teaching
The group delivers teaching in cell biology, molecular exercise physiology, skeletal muscle biology, and epigenetics.
Academic responsibilities include:
• THP301 Cell Biology (focus on molecular exercise physiology)
• THP307 Bachelor’s Project/Thesis
• MA461 Exercise Biology and Sport Performance Analysis 2
The group also supervises Bachelor’s and Master’s research projects, providing training in molecular physiology and skeletal muscle biology.