Event Date
Karyn Esser
Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Aging at the University of Florida
Dr. Esser's lab has been at the forefront in the study of circadian rhythms, circadian clocks and skeletal muscle health. In 2002, her lab made a serendipitous discovery that genes controlling the body's "biological clock" also were part the response of muscle to high force contractions. This discovery changed the trajectory of her research program to a new focus on understanding circadian clock biology in skeletal muscle. Dr Esser's group has demonstrated that the muscle circadian clock is necessary for maintaining healthy muscle metabolism and muscle strength. In addition, her research has uncovered the importance of the muscle clock on systemic health including contributions to sleep and systemic signatures of inflammation. Her lab is actively studying 1) the role of muscle circadian clocks in the acute and trained response to exercise and 2) how the muscle clock changes with age and strategies to improve muscle clock function to support muscle and system health.
Muscle Circadian Clocks in Health and Disease: Implications Beyond Muscle
Skeletal muscle health is shaped by internal biological timing mechanisms. Research from Esser's lab has revealed how the muscle’s intrinsic circadian clock contributes to muscle function and maintenance, while also shedding light on how changes in muscle can influence systemic health across the body.
Location: In-Person Format
- Student Community Center, Multipurpose Room
Registration:
- This event is free to attend and open to the public.
About the Series
The Paul Molé Memorial Lecture was created to recognize excellence in the study of exercise physiology by inviting notable researchers in the field to the UC Davis campus. Professor Molé studied how muscles function during exercise. The lectureship is designed to promote his multidisciplinary and collaborative vision, and to further highlight and support discoveries in exercise physiology.