Micah Drummond

Aging is a process of physiological and functional decline accelerated by a physically inactive lifestyle. Physically inactive older adults are at risk for developing metabolic disease (insulin resistance, glucose intolerance) and loss of muscle mass resulting in a poor quality of life and loss of physical independence.

The research projects within the Drummond laboratory hold to two general research themes:

1. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle growth and metabolic function in aging muscle.
2. Utilizing therapeutic tools (nutritional, contractile analogs, pharmacological) to limit muscle and metabolic deficits that occur with physical inactivity in aged muscle.

The Drummond lab utilizes a host of molecular biology techniques and functional assays to further enhance the understanding of the mechanisms involved in metabolic dysfunction and muscle atrophy in aging skeletal muscle and in response to physical inactivity. Specific questions are addressed using mechanistic mouse models complemented with controlled physical inactivity experiments in older adults (bed rest). Clinical muscle samples are often paralleled with whole body measurements of physical mobility, muscle strength and size capitalizing on the resources of the skeletal muscle exercise research facility (SMERF) and the expertise of the SMERF investigators within the Department of Physical Therapy. We also utilize generous services from the University of Utah’s Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (http://medicine.utah.edu/ccts/) to assist with our inpatient and outpatient older adult experiments and analysis. Dr. Drummond collaborates with investigators across the Health Sciences and College of Health many of whom are associated with the Diabetes and Obesity Metabolism Center.