Integrative Physiology of Aging Laboratory

Carlson 1B06

Phone: 303-492-2485
Fax: 303-492-6778

Research Focus

The research goals of the Integrative Physiology of Aging Laboratory are to determine:

important changes in physiological function with aging;

modulation of those changes by biological factors (e.g., adiposity, estrogen deficiency) and lifestyle behaviors (e.g., physical activity/inactivity, diet);

the efficacy of lifestyle and pharmacological interventions for reversing adverse changes in physiological function with aging;

the integrative (systemic to molecular) biological mechanisms that mediate physiological changes with aging and the effects of modulating influences and interventions on those changes.

Within this context of the integrative physiology of aging, our primary focus is "vascular aging", in particular the development of large elastic artery stiffness and impaired arterial endothelial function with advancing age. A wide range of contemporary experimental techniques are employed to study these issues in human subjects, rodents, and cell culture using cross-sectional, intervention, and longitudinal study designs. Emphasis is placed on the integrative nature of the physiological and pathophysiological processes involved from a mechanistic perspective. Our research on human subjects is performed in the University of Colorado at Boulder Clinical Translational Research Center (CTRC). If you are interested in participating, you should contact one of the investigators. The laboratory is supported by R01 and R37 individual investigator awards and career development (K01, F32, T32) awards from National Institute on Aging, as well as a CTRC award from the National Center for Research Resources at NIH.

Personnel

Senior Professor: Douglas R. Seals, Ph.D.

Assistant Research Professor: Anthony Donato, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellows: Bradley Fleenor, Ph.D., Lisa Lesniewski, Ph.D., Amy Sindler, Ph.D.

Visiting Faculty: Catarina Rippe, (Lund, Sweden), Ph.D.

Doctoral Students: Ashley Walker, B.S., Kristen Jablonski, M.S., Lindsey Gano, M.S., Phil Rhodes, M. S., Tom LaRocca, M.S.

Masters Students: Grant Henson, B.A., Kate Howell, B.S., Katie Magerko, Kurt Marshall, B.S., Mark Blimline, B.A., Rachelle Kaplon, B.A.

Undergraduate Students: Alex Van Engelenburg, Candace Geolfos, Dorincy Mariathas, Frank Hall, Muhammad Hamza, Taylor Autry

Staff Research Assistants: Alex Black, M.S., Brooke Lawson, M.S., Cindy Seals, B.A., Eric Chung, B.A., Keri Nelson, B.A., Melanie Zigler, M.S., Molly Russell, M.S., Rhea Chiang, B.S., Wes Blakeslee, B.A.

Collaborators: Wendy Kohrt, Ph.D., UCD; Robert Schwartz, M.D., UCD; Christopher Bell, Ph.D., Colorado State University; Kerrie Moreau, Ph.D., UCD; Robert Eckel, M.D., UCD; Phil Gates, Ph.D., University of Exeter; Michel Chonchol, M.D., UCD.

Back row (Left to right):Brooke Lawson, Wes Blakeslee, Molly Russell
Fifth row:Eric Chung, Alex Black, Keri Nelson, Rhea Chung, Melanie Zigler
Fourth row: Muhammad Hamza, Alex Van Engelenburg, Candace Geolfos, Rachelle Kaplon
Third row: Katie Magerko, Mark Blimline, Kurt Marshall, Kate Howell, Grant Henson, Phil Rhodes
Second row: Cindy Seals, Tom LaRocca, Kristen Jablonski, Ashley Walker, Catarina Rippe, Amy Sindler
Front row: Tony Donato, Lisa Lesniewski (with McKenzie Donato), Ed Lakatta (Visiting Professor), Doug Seals, Brad Fleenor

Recent Publications

Donato AJ, Gano LB, Eskurza I, Silver AE, Gates PE, Jablonski KL, Seals DR. Vascular endothelial dysfunction with aging: endothelin-I and endothelial nitric oxide synthase. American Journal of Physiology 297: H425-H432, 2009.

Donato AJ, Pierce GL, Lesniewski LA, Seals DR. Perspective: role of NFKB in age-related vascular endothelial dysfunction in humans. Aging 1: 1-3, 2009.

Durrant JR, Seals DR, Connell ML, Russell MJ, Folian BJ, Donato AJ, Lesniewski LA. Voluntary wheel running restores endothelial function in conduit arteries of old mice: direct evidence for reduced oxidative stress, increased superoxide dismutase activity and down-regulation of NADPH oxidase. Journal of Physiology 587: 3271-3285, 2009.

Gavin KM, Seals DR, Silver AE, Moreau KL. Vascular endothelial estrogen receptor alpha is modulated by estrogen status and related to endothelial function and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in healthy women. Journal of Clincial Endocrinology and Metabolism 94: 3513-3520, 2009.

Lesniewski LA, Connell ML, Durrant JR, Folian BJ, Donato AJ, Seals DR. B6D2F1 mice are a suitable model of oxidative stress-mediated impaired endothelium-dependent dilation with aging. Journal of Gerontology 64A: 9-20, 2009.

Pierce GL, Lesniewski LA, Lawson BR, Beske SD, Seals DR. Vascular endothelial dysfunction with aging: endothelin-1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase. American Journal of Physiology 297: H425-H432, 2009.

Walker AE, Seals DR, Pierce GL, Gates PE, Eskurza I. Modulation of vascular endothelial function by low density lipoprotein cholesterol with aging: influence of habitual exercise. American Journal of Hypertension 22: 250-256, 2009.