Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Research Profile
I am a microbiologist by training with specific interests in the bacteria that inhabit the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. I received my PhD from the University of Dundee, specialising in gut microbiology and the role that intestinal bacteria play in the breakdown of dietary fibre. I then spent eight years at the Wellcome Sanger Institute before moving to my current post as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen/Rowett Institute.
Key research interests include:
- interactions between the gut microbiome and pathogens
- links between host diet, the gut microbiome, and disease
- microbial ecology of gut ecosystems
- cultivation and genomic analyses of gut microbes
Activities
Clarivate (Web of Science) highly cited researcher: 2019 and 2020
Editorial Roles:
- Microbiome (2013 – 2017) [Editorial Board member then Associate Editor]
- Microbial Genomics (2015 – present) [Senior Editor to July 2021, then Editor]
Grant Panel Member:
- The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation). 20/3/13 to 22/3/13
- BBSRC, Tools and Resources Development Fund (15TDRF1). 10/2/16 to 11/2/16.
- The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation). 15/3/16 to 17/3/16.
- BBSRC Institute Assessment Exercise. 20/9/16.
- European Commission Joint Programming Initiative. 30/5/17 to 31/5/17 and 7/9/17 to 8/9/17.
- BBSRC, Responsive Mode (20RM2) Committee A. 23/11/20.
- BBSRC, Responsive Mode (20RM3) Committee A. 22/3/21.
Committee/Advisory Board Member:
- ComMet – Community Network in Metagenomics (BBSRC funded initiative), 2014-2018.
- EnteroBiotix Ltd – Independent Scientific & Medical Advisory Board member, 2015-present.
- BBSRC Microbiome Expert Working Group, 28/9/16 and 15/11/16.
- Zoe Global Ltd – Independent consultancy role, 2017-2018.
- BBSRC Pool of Experts (Microbiome), 2018-2021.
Supervision:
Ann-Kristin Kaune (EC ITN-funded Ph.D. Studentship) – 2019 to 2022
Nate Cole (EC ITN-funded Ph.D. Studentship) – 2019 to 2022
Rebecca Smith (BBSRC EASTBIO Ph.D. Studentship) – 2018 to 2022
Swang Shallangwa (RESAS-funded Ph.D. Studentship) – 2017 to 2021
Helen Heaney (UoA Dev. Trust Ph.D. Studentship) – 2017 to 2021
Liviana Ricci (RESAS-funded Ph.D. Studentship) – 2016 to 2020
Elena Conti (Tenovus Scotland Ph.D. Scholarship) – 2016 to 2020
Teresa Grohmann (Industry-funded Ph.D. Studentship) – 2016 to 2020
Leah Cuthbertson (NERC CASE Ph.D. Studentship) – 2010 to 2014
Teaching:
MSc
- Introduction to Microbiology, MC5008 – University of Aberdeen
- Genes and Immunity, MB5526 – University of Aberdeen
- Molecular Nutrition, RR5502 – University of Aberdeen
- Clinical Nutrition for Disease Prevention, PU5541 – University of Aberdeen
- Challenges in Global Nutrition, PU5547 – University of Aberdeen
Undergraduate
- Honours Microbiology, MC4014 – University of Aberdeen
- Molecular Microbiology, MC3504 – University of Aberdeen
Education/Academic qualification
Life Sciences & Medicine, Doctoral Degree, Influence of substrate and environmental factors on human gut microbial ecology and metabolism, University of Dundee
Oct 2002 → Dec 2005
Award Date: 31 May 2006
Life Sciences & Medicine, Bachelors Degree, BSc (Hons) Microbiology, University of Aberdeen
Sept 1997 → May 2001
Award Date: 5 Jul 2001
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics where Alan Walker is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
- 6 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
-
Reagent and laboratory contamination can critically impact sequence-based microbiome analyses
Salter, S. J., Cox, M. J., Turek, E. M., Calus, S. T., Cookson, W. O., Moffatt, M. F., Turner, P., Parkhill, J., Loman, N. J. & Walker, A. W., 12 Nov 2014, In: BMC Biology. 12, 1, 87.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2293 Citations (Scopus)20 Downloads (Pure) -
Shotgun metagenomics, from sampling to analysis
Quince, C., Walker, A. W., Simpson, J. T., Loman, N. J. & Segata, N. (Corresponding Author), 12 Sept 2017, In: Nature Biotechnology. 35, 9, p. 833-844 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1140 Citations (Scopus)903 Downloads (Pure) -
Dominant and diet-responsive groups of bacteria within the human colonic microbiota
Walker, A. W., Ince, J., Duncan, S. H., Webster, L., Holtrop, G., Ze, X., Brown, D., Stares, M. D., Scott, P., Bergerat, A., Louis, P., McIntosh, F., Johnstone, A. M., Lobley, G. E., Parkhill, J. & Flint, H. J., Feb 2011, In: The ISME Journal. 5, 2, p. 220-230 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1317 Citations (Scopus) -
Compendium of 4,941 rumen metagenome-assembled genomes for rumen microbiome biology and enzyme discovery
Stewart, R. D., Auffret, M. D., Warr, A., Walker, A. W., Roehe, R. & Watson, M. (Corresponding Author), 31 Aug 2019, In: Nature Biotechnology. 37, p. 953–961 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile323 Citations (Scopus)14 Downloads (Pure) -
Diarrhea in young children from low-income countries leads to large-scale alterations in intestinal microbiota composition
Pop, M., Walker, A. W., Paulson, J., Lindsay, B., Antonio, M., Hossain, M. A., Oundo, J., Tamboura, B., Mai, V., Astrovskaya, I., Bravo, H., Rance, R., Stares, M., Levine, M. M., Panchalingam, S., Kotloff, K., Ikumapayi, U. N., Ebruke, C., Adeyemi, M. & Ahmed, D. & 15 others, , 27 Jun 2014, In: Genome Biology. 15, 12 p., R76.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile187 Citations (Scopus)16 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
-
Impact of carbohydrate substrate complexity on the diversity of the human colonic microbiota
Chung, W. S. F. (Creator), Walker, A. (Creator), Vermeiren, J. (Creator), Sheridan, P. (Creator), Bosscher, D. (Creator), Garcia-Campayo, V. (Creator), Parkhill, J. (Creator), Flint, H. J. (Creator) & Duncan, S. H. (Creator), Oxford Academic, 6 Jan 2019
DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy201, https://academic.oup.com/femsec/article/95/1/fiy201/5124376
Dataset
Activities
- 2 Editor of research journal / publication series
-
Microbial Genomics (Journal)
Walker, A. (Editor)
2015 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editor of research journal / publication series
-
Microbiome (Journal)
Walker, A. (Editor)
Jul 2015 → Aug 2017Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editor of research journal / publication series
Prizes
-
Clarivate (Web of Science) highly cited researcher 2019
Walker, A. (Recipient), 2019
Prize: Other distinction
-
Clarivate (Web of Science) highly cited researcher 2020
Walker, A. (Recipient), 2020
Prize: Other distinction
-
Clarivate (Web of Science) highly cited researcher 2021
Walker, A. (Recipient), 2021
Prize: Other distinction
-
Highly Cited Researchers™ 2022
Duncan, S. (Recipient), Flint, H. (Recipient), Francis, J. (Recipient), Johnston, M. (Recipient), Louis, P. (Recipient), Prosser, J. (Recipient), Scott, K. (Recipient), Smith, P. (Recipient) & Walker, A. (Recipient), 2022
Prize: Other distinction
Impacts
-
Commercial applications of pioneering research on the human gut microbiota
Scott, K. (Participant), Louis, P. (Participant), Walker, A. (Participant), Duncan, S. (Participant) & Flint, H. (Participant)
Impact: Economic and/or Commercial, Health and Wellbeing