The research in our laboratory focuses on the nutritional regulation of protein metabolism and growth. We are investigating the mechanisms by which nutrients, hormones, and growth factors regulate protein deposition during growth and development. Preterm and term neonatal pigs are used as translational models.
Current projects in the laboratory seek to:
- Identify the mechanisms by which nutrients regulate protein synthesis and degradation in the neonate
- Discover signaling components in the nutrient and growth factor signaling pathways that regulate the developmental changes in protein synthesis and degradation.
- Determine the intracellular mechanisms by which leucine is sensed by neonatal muscle in vivo and the role of these signaling components in the regulation of muscle protein synthesis and lean growth.
- Identify the impact of low birth weight and prematurity on growth regulation.
- Investigate the effect of different feeding modalities on protein synthesis, growth, and body composition during the neonatal period.
- Develop dietary interventions to promote lean growth and mitigate fat accretion in the at-risk neonates.