I am an Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology with a broad background in Immunology and Exercise Science. I co-direct the ImmunoEnergetics Laboratory with Dr. Brian Irving, CoI on the proposed project. I am currently PI on grants funded by NASA and a CoI on grants funded by the National Cancer Institute with Dr. Brown CoI (U01 CA271279 – PI: Brown) and the NIA with Dr. Irving CoI (R21AG058181-01-A1 – PI: Irving).
Although exercise has well documented benefits on the metabolic health of various tissues, including immune cells, we do not know what exercise modality and volume offer the optimal benefits to colon cancer survivors. Considering that 1) premature immune aging and T-cell senescence are associated with increased risk of cancer relapse along with overall and disease-specific mortality; 2) exercise training improves hallmark features of T-cell senescence in healthy adults and; 3) colon cancer survivors rarely follow physical activity guidelines, it is imperative to identify the optimal, and feasibly achievable modality and dose of exercise to rejuvenate immune health in this population. My research focuses on answering this exact question. I have designed and conducted research on the deleterious impact of obesity, physical inactivity and poor aerobic fitness on the immune system. This research was conducted on several hundred subjects from the general population, Mexican-American minorities, and prostate and colon-cancer patients, further developing my skills in conducting large-scale studies. The resulting publications are included, below. In addition to studying immune aging and exercise, I also served on multiple NASA-funded projects as both Principal and Co-investigator, investigating the impact of long duration spaceflight on the immune system. Working under unique conditions with astronauts created numerous challenges that greatly expanded my abilities to solve problems and anticipate potential pitfalls effectively.
