Sports and Exercise Medicine

Dr Natalie Shur

"I am an Academic Clinical Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) with a PhD in muscle physiology. My clinical and research interests lie in musculoskeletal medicine, with a focus on understanding how systemic factors such as metabolism and hormonal changes affect the health of musculoskeletal tissues. I am actively involved in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in SEM, sitting on the FSEM EDI Committee and Chairing the Women in SEM trainee group. My goal is to translate mechanistic insights into interventions that improve patient outcomes in common musculoskeletal disorders.

My research focuses on two main areas:

1. Metabolic Health and Musculoskeletal Tissues 
   I lead studies examining how metabolic regulation affects musculoskeletal tissues. This includes a BMA Foundation-funded project investigating the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonist-induced weight loss on knee cartilage structure and function, integrating advanced MRI imaging and metabolic assessments. Complementary work explores glucose regulation and its relationship to frozen shoulder, aiming to understand how systemic metabolic health may underly the development of this painful condition.
2. Impact of Menopause on Musculoskeletal Health
   I also study the effects of the menopause transition on musculoskeletal health, supported by an MRC research grant focussed on skeletal muscle and a Wellbeing of Women grant examining menopause status in women with frozen shoulder. I am leading a scoping review of musculoskeletal complaints during the menopause, alongside cross-sectional studies in both the general and military population assessing musculoskeletal pain, diagnoses and physical activity. The aim is to map patterns of musculoskeletal vulnerability during the menopause transition, providing foundational data to guide future mechanistic and interventional studies.

For more information about Natalie’s research, please see an overview of Natalie's research on ORCiD.

• Twitter/X: @NatalieShur
• LinkedIn: Natalie Shur