Exercise physiology and metabolism lab
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Our research focuses on the examination of the regulation of skeletal muscle glucose uptake during exercise in humans using tracer methodologies, femoral artery-vein measurements as well as skeletal muscle biopsies. We also utilize human and mouse cell culture and running rat and mouse models (eg nNOS KO mice).
We are also examining the factors the regulate the increase in muscle mitochondria with exercise training. These studies involve exercising humans, muscle cells (human and rat) and exercising rats and mice. Specifically we are determining whether nitric oxide is involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and also whether exercise can ameliorate the negative effects of being born small on muscle mitochondrial volume in adulthood.
This research has implications for increasing the understanding of Diabetes and indeed we have received four Diabetes Australia grants over recent years and published four papers in the prestigious journal Diabetes. We also have substantial funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia, the National Heart Foundation and from Industry.
We are also investigating:
- the factors that contribute to firefighter’s health and safety during tanker-based bushfire suppression. This project is conducted in conjunction with the Australasian Fire Authorities Council through the Bushfire Co-operative Research Centre.
- the effect of cholesterol lowering drugs on muscle toxicity
Staff/Students:
Dr Glenn McConell Head of the Group
Rhianna Laker Ph.D. Student (co-supervised with Associate Professor Mary Wlodek)
Troy Merry Ph.D. Student
Sophie Yeo (co-supervised with Professor Mark Hargreaves).
Facilities and Techniques:
Human exercise equipment; Aerobic Fitness Testing; Physiological field testing; Transgenic mouse; Cell Culture Facility; Molecular Biology/Biochemistry Assay - Real- Time PCR, Western blot, immuno-precipitation, AMPK assay
Collaborators:
Professor Bruce Kemp St. Vincent Institute
Professor Mark Hargreaves Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne
Professor David Wasserman Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University
Associate Professor Gordon Lynch Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Stephen Rattigan School of Medicine, University of Tasmania
Associate Professor Mary Wlodek Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne
Dr Robert Lee-Young Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University
David Nichols Country Fire Authority