My undergraduate work was completed at the University of
Minnesota-Duluth on beautiful Lake Superior. I majored in
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. During my senior year, I
began an independent study and worked with Dr. Ken Wallace in the
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology on mitochondrial
dysfunction. As a collegiate athlete involved in Cross-Country and
Track & Field I took great pleasure in researching the "powerhouse" of
the muscle. I continued assisting in the lab after completing my
coursework and worked on analyzing possible super-oxide scavengers.
During this time I applied for positions in the biochemistry field in
the Twin Cities.
While I worked at SurModics, a local biomedical company in the Twin
Cities I was asked by my high school coach to assist in coaching
cross-country. For the next two years I juggled work, assistant
cross-country coaching and began as an assistant track and field coach
in the distance events. As I coached and worked I found my interest in
the biomedical field dissipating and my interest in the physiology of
the exercising body growing. I knew that I enjoyed working with
people and that I also enjoyed research, so I began to search for
masters exercise science programs that would allow me to continue with
both of these interests. I completed a Masters of Science in Exercise Science at St.
Cloud State University, St. Cloud MN.
Since my arrival at UMASS in the summer of 2004, I have been involved
in several laboratory research projects and have completed one of
my own. Our laboratory environment is one that allows each of us to
work with human subjects to investigate muscle damage, hypertrophy,
and atrophy. I have had the opportunity to examine markers of muscle
damage using blood and tissue specimens. My own interest is in the molecular pathways involved in muscle
atrophy and remodeling as a result of disuse and unloading. In addition, I have participated
in collaborative research projects with Hartford Hospital
in Connecticut to investigate influence of an acute bout of exercise on skeletal muscle after a high or low dose of statin. This research
is important, as Statins are commonly prescribed cholesterol lowering
drugs, which have been shown to increase the potential for muscle
damage in many individuals. More recently, I have participated in a research project to investigate the influence of a nutritional supplement on muscle strength, soreness and inflammatory markers. I have just recently completed my own research project which investigated the association of a single nucleotide polymorphism in the AKT1 gene on total body composition. I plan to use techniques that I learned
while working on these projects for my next research ventures designed
to investigate early changes in muscle gene expression with disuse in the AKT1 pathway.
In addition to research, I have served as a TA for the Human Performance
and Nutrition course and a TA for the Junior Year Writing couse.
In my free time, I enjoy participating in outdoor activities, particularly
running. My favorite time of year to run whenever there is a cool breeze and shade.
Awards
