Postdoctoral, Washinton University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 1983
Ph.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 1980
M.S., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 1976
B.S., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 1975

The long-term objective of our research is to identify the mechanisms by which nutrients, hormones, and growth factors regulate protein deposition, particularly in skeletal muscle, during growth and development. Our previous studies demonstrated that the high rate of protein deposition in the neonate is due to the elevated response of protein synthesis to nutrient intake, which is particularly profound in skeletal muscle. Using novel hormone-substrate clamps, the feeding-induced stimulation of protein synthesis was shown to involve independent regulation by both insulin and amino acids in skeletal muscle, and to be mediated by either amino acids or insulin alone in other tissues. Recent studies are demonstrating that the high rate of muscle protein synthesis in the neonate is regulated by the expression and activity of components of the intracellular insulin and nutrient signaling pathways that control translation initiation. The role of branched-chain amino acids and glucose in the regulation of protein synthesis in the neonate is also being explored. Other research areas being investigated include the role of dietary protein in the regulation of translation initiation in neonates, the regulation of neonatal protein synthesis during catabolic illness such as sepsis, and the role of nutrient intake in the anabolic response to growth hormone. The importance of this research lies in the fact that mechanisms that regulate protein deposition in neonates must be identified before effective strategies to optimize nutrient utilization for growth can be developed. Such strategies, in turn, are important to improve outcome of growth-retarded infants and to improve animal production.

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics (1997-present);

Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics (1995-1997);

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics (1986-1995)


Washington University School of Medicine, USA

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine (1986)

Research Instructor, Department of Medicine (1985-1986)

Research Associate, Department of Medicine (1983-1985)