BIO
Keith is the head of the Functional Molecular Biology Laboratory in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at the University of California, Davis. He is a renowned scientist in the emerging field of molecular exercise physiology and is leading a team of researchers attempting to develop ways to improve muscle, tendon, and ligament function.
The goal of his laboratory is to understand the molecular determinants of musculoskeletal development and the role of exercise in improving health and performance. To achieve this goal, he and his team work on muscle, tendon, and ligaments from 2- and 3-dimensional tissue culture, in vivo wild type and genetically modified animals, and humans.
Of particular interest are: 1) the interplay between nutrition and exercise and the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) in the maintenance of muscle mass; 2) the role of the amino acid transceptor LAT1 in the activation of protein synthesis and maintenance of muscle mass; 3) the mechanism of ER stress-induced loss of protein synthesis and how this leads to anabolic resistance in muscle; and 4) the role of growth factors and loading on the activation of the Egr-1 transcription factor and the development and mechanics of ligaments.
