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 across the translational spectrum (cell-mouse-human) 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 and recovery.

Key Words: Aging, Muscle, Inflammation, Exercise, Nutrition, Immunometabolism, Translational Research, Therapeutics