Dr Heather Walker

School of Biosciences

Biological Mass Spectrometry Facility Manager

Heather W.
Profile picture of Heather W.
h.j.walker@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 0049
Profile

Career

  • Mass Spectrometry Facility Manager, Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield (2015–present)
  • PhD 'Direct Approaches to Metabolite Profiling by Mass Spectrometry', Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield (2014)
  • Senior Research Technician, Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield (2003-2014)
  • Mass Spectrometry Demo Chemist, Waters UK, Manchester (1999-2003)
  • Chemical Analyst, Sheffield Hallam University (1994-1999)
  • MSc Chemistry, UMIST, Manchester (1994)
  • BSc (Hons) Chemistry, UMIST, Manchester (1991)
Research interests

I am an analytical biochemist with over 25 years’ experience in Mass Spectrometry. For more than 15 years, I have specialised in using Mass Spectrometry for the study of metabolites within different biological systems.

I collaborate with researchers and academics on many different research projects across the biological and natural sciences to help understand how metabolites adapt and change due to their environments.

The laboratory also has the capability for imaging metabolites, which allows the understanding of how metabolites are localised within tissue sections.

Publications

Journal articles

  • Cavanagh M, Amabebe E, Kulkarni NS, Papageorgiou MD, Walker H, Wyles MD & Anumba DO (2025) . npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 11(1).
  • Caine RS, Khan MS, Brench RA, Walker HJ & Croft HL (2024) . Plant, Cell & Environment, 47(9), 3494-3513.
  • Nazemi M, Yanes B, Martinez ML, Walker HJ, Pham K, Collins MO, Bard F & Rainero E (2024) . PLOS Biology, 22(1).
  • Parker EJ, Billane KC, Austen N, Cotton A, George RM, Hopkins D, Lake JA, Pitman JK, Prout JN, Walker HJ , Williams A et al (2023) . Metabolites, 13(4).
  • Walker H, Jena A, McEwan K, Evans G & Campbell S (2023) . Forests, 14(1).
  • Tao C-N, Buswell W, Zhang P, Walker H, Johnson I, Ton J & Field K (2022) . Plant Cell, 34(12), 4840-4856.
  • Webb JP, Paiva AC, Rossoni L, Alstrom-Moore A, Springthorpe V, Vaud S, Yeh V, Minde D-P, Langer S, Walker H , Hounslow A et al (2022) . Metabolic Engineering, 72, 133-149.
  • Kakonyi G, Mulligan S, Fairburn AW, Moharamzadeh K, Thornton SF, Walker HJ, Burrell MM & Martin N (2021) . Dental Materials Journal, 40(4), 1007-1013.
  • Hodges HE, Walker HJ, Cowieson AJ, Falconer RJ & Cameron DD (2021) . Frontiers in Plant Science, 12.
  • Southan J, McHugh E, Walker H & Ismail H (2020) . Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, 7.
  • Walker HJ & Burrell MM (2020) . Bioanalysis, 12(17).
  • Austen N, Walker HJ, Lake JA, Phoenix GK & Cameron DD (2019) . Frontiers in Plant Science, 10.
  • Webb J, Springthorpe V, Rossoni L, Minde D-P, Langer S, Walker H, Alstrom-Moore A, Larson T, Lilley K, Eastham G , Stephens G et al (2019) . mSystems, 4(4).
  • Walker H, Burrell M, Flatley J & Powers H (2017) . Bioanalysis, 9(8), 601-608.
  • Yahaya N, Petriacq P, Burrell M, Walker H, Malinowski R & Rolfe S (2017) . Advanced Science Letters, 23(5), 4623-4626.
  • Lake JA, Walker HJ, Cameron DD & Lomax BH (2016) . Physiologia Plantarum.
  • Walker HJ, Steels C, Bendell L, Clench MR, Read DJ, Cameron D & Burrell MM (2016) . Proteomics , 16(11-12), 1690-1694.
  • Chater C, Peng K, Movahedi M, Dunn JA, Walker HJ, Liang YK, McLachlan DH, Casson S, Isner JC, Wilson I , Neill SJ et al (2015) . Current Biology, 25(20), 2709-2716.
  • Duckett CJ, Wilson ID, Douce DS, Walker HJ, Abou-Shakra FR, Lindon JC & Nicholson JK (2007) . Xenobiotica, 37(12), 1378-1393.
  • Duckett CJ, Lindon JC, Walker H, Abou-Shakra F, Wilson ID & Nicholson JK (2006) . Xenobiotica, 36(1), 59-77.
  • SHINOHARA A, CHIBA M, KONDO M, ABOU-AHAKRA FR, WALKER H, KOBAYASHI K & INABA Y (2004) . BUNSEKI KAGAKU, 53(6), 589-593.
  • Duckett CJ, Wilson ID, Walker H, Abou‐Shakra F, Lindon JC & Nicholson JK (2003) . Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 17(16), 1855-1858.
  • Duckett CJ, Bailey NJC, Walker H, Abou‐Shakra F, Wilson ID, Lindon JC & Nicholson JK (2002) . Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 16(4), 245-247.
  • Basile S, Burrell M, Walker H, Cardozo J, Steels C, Kallenberg F, Tognetti J, DallaValle H & Rogers W () . Agronomy, 8(4), 45-45.
  • Overy SA () . Journal of Experimental Botany, 56(410), 287-296.

Book chapters

  • (2021) , Advances in Botanical Research (pp. 271-296). Elsevier
  • Walker H (2011) (pp. 697-708). Wiley

Conference proceedings

  • Mahiddine F, Jackson R, Myland A, Agheda S, Walker H, Kirby J, Williams E, Hautbergue G & Highley R (2025) Epigenetic Methylation and One-Carbon Metabolism in TDP-43 Proteinopathies. NEUROPATHOLOGY AND APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY, Vol. 51
  • Rainero E, Nazemi M, Martinez ML, Yanes B & Walker H (2023) The extracellular matrix support breast cancer cell growth under amino acid starvation by promoting tyrosine catabolism.. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, Vol. 34(2) (pp 171-172)

Preprints

  • Hansson EM, Walker HJ, Childs DZ & Beckerman AP (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Caine RS, Khan MS, Brench RA, Walker HJ & Croft HL (2023) , Wiley.
  • Parker ΕJ, Billane KC, Austen N, Cotton A, George RM, Hopkins D, Lake JA, Pitman JK, Prout JN, Walker HJ , Williams A et al (2023) , MDPI AG.
  • Tao C-N, Buswell W, Zhang P, Walker H, Johnson I, Schwarzenbacher R & Ton J (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Teaching activities

I teach on the postgraduate course BMS6007:Mass Spectrometry-based Proteomics and Metabolomics course which is organised annually and provides lectures and interactive sessions.

I also teach on APS6625:Advanced Analytical Techniques in Agricultural Research as part of the APS based Sustainable Agricultural Technologies MSc course providing lectures, tutorials and practical sessions.

Professional activities and memberships

Member of the Royal Society International Exchanges Panel