News in Exercise Physiology

Fall 2011

1. Sergiy Yakovenko, Ph.D. has joined Exercise Physiology as an Assistant Professor, effective October 1, 2011. Dr. Yakovenko completed his Ph.D. training in Neuroscience at the University of Alberta Canada, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Montreal, Canada. He will investigate the role of exercise on motor control in stroke using humans and animal models.

 

2. Exercise Physiology has been given laboratory space for state of the art instruction in cardiovascular methods. We will be outfitting this new room (G277) with new treadmills, cycle erogmeters, and metabolic carts. Exercise Physiology 368 will be revised to add new “hands on” laboratories for instruction. There will also be an integration of laboratory classes for strength and conditioning (EXPH 369) and cardiovascular physiology (368)

SUMMER 2011

1. Dr. Guy Hornsby, Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology, has been awarded a 1.3 million dollar, 5-year NIH ( National Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney) grant for a project titled “Behavioral Depression Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes”. Guy is the site PI for the WVU part of a 3.8 million dollar grant that was awarded to Indiana University, Ohio University and WVU. The grant is scheduled to begin 08-01-2011. The WVU Human Performance Lab will be the primary site for exercise testing and clinical exercise training.
2. Dr. Paul Chantler has received a two year grant from the Clinical Research Program (American Heart Association) for his grant entitled “Cardiac and Arterial Responses to Exercise” . His funding will start 07/1/2011.
3. Ms. Beth Nardella, Instructor in Exercise Physiology received a Faculty Development Grant for travel to “Speaking Nature, the 2011 Interdisciplinary Nineteenth Century Studies Conference” which will be held at Pitzer College in Claremont, California.
4. Dr. John Hollander has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in Exercise Physiology. This was effective July 1, 2011.
5. Ms. Rebecca Miller was promoted to Office Administrator. Her new position and title took effect July 3, 2011.

SPRING 2011

New Faculty

Emidio Pistilli, Ph.D., will join the faculty of Exercise Physiology June 1, 2011. He will teach Strength and Conditioning (EXPH 369) and conduct research in neuromuscular physiology, including muscular dystrophy diseases.
Recent papers published by Dr. Pistilli include:

• Pistilli EE, Bogdanovich S, Lachey J, Seehra J, and Khurana TS. Targeting the activin type IIB receptor to improve muscle mass and function in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).  American Journal ofPathology, IN PRESS, 2011
• Pistilli EE, Bogdanovich S, Mosqueira M, Lachey J, Seehra J, and Khurana TS. Pre-treatment with a soluble activin type IIB receptor/Fc fusion protein improves hypoxia-induced muscle dysfunction. American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 298, R96-R103, 2010
• Peterson MD, Liu D, Gordish-Dressman H, Hubal MJ, Pistilli E, Angelopoulos TJ, Clarkson PM, Moyna NM, Pescatello LS, Seip RL, Visich PS, Zoeller RF, Thompson PD, Devaney JM, Hoffman EP, and Gordon PM. Adiposity attenuates muscle quality and the adaptive response to resistance exercise in nonobese, healthy adults. International Journal of Obesity, IN PRESS, 2011
• Peterson MD, Pistilli E, Haff GG, Hoffman EP, and Gordon PM. Progression of volume load and muscular hypertrophy during resistance exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, IN PRESS, 2011
• Liu D, Sartor MA, Nader GA, Gutmann L, Treutelaar MK, Pistilli EE, IglayReger HB, Burant CF, Hoffman EP and  Gordon PM. Skeletal muscle gene expression in response to resistance exercise: sex specific regulation. BMC Genomics, 11:659. 2010
• Goncalves M, Pistilli E, Balduzzi A, Birnbaum M, Lachey J, Khurana T, and Ahima R. Akt deficiency attenuates muscle size and function but not the response to ActRIIB inhibition. PLoS One, 5(9), e12707, 2010.
•  Guerron AD, Rawat R, Sali A, Spurney CF, Pistilli E, Cha HJ, Pandey GS, Gernapudi R, Francia D, Farajian V, Escolar DM, Bossi L, Becker M, Zerr P, de la Porte S, Gordish-Dressman H, Partridge T, Hoffman EP, and Nagaraju K. Functional and molecular effects of arginine butyrate and prednisone on muscle and heart in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.  PLoS One, 5(6), e11220, 2010.
• Spurney CF, Cha HJ, Sali A, Pandey GS, Pistilli E, Guerron AD, Hoffman EP, and Nagaraju K. Evaluation of skeletal and cardiac muscle function after chronic administration of thymosin beta-4 in the dystrophin deficient mouse. PLoS ONE, 5(1), e8976, 2010.

SUMMER 2009

New Faculty

Two new faculty will join the Division of Exercise Physiology very soon.

1. Dr. Paul Chanter (National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Aging) has recently joined the faculty of Exercise Physiology as an Assistant Professor (October 19, 2009). He obtained his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology at Liverpool John Moores University, UK and has completed four years of postdoctoral training at the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, Human Cardiovascular Studies Unit, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Chantler’s research is on differential blood pressure changes across the heart during exercise in elderly humans.



2. 2. Dr. I. Mark Olfert (University of San Diego) began the position of an Assistant Professor in Exercise Physiology June 30, 2009. Dr. Olfert completed his Ph.D. in Physiology at Loma Linda University. He then completed four years of postdoctoral training at the University of California-San Diego, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, and was promoted to Assistant Professor of Medicine in 2006. Dr. Olfert is conducting research to understand the role of exercise to regulate muscle capillarity and blood flow. Dr. Olfert will also continue his investigations of respiratory function and exercise.

Drs. Olfert and Chanter will teach in Exercise Physiology 365, several masters courses and advise master’s and doctoral students.