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IMG 1625The UAB Center for Exercise Medicine (UCEM) hosted its 9th Annual Symposium - focused on "Exercise and Aging" - on September 11 and 12, 2023 at The University of Alabama at Birmingham Alumni House. 

The Symposium brought together about 150 scientists, clinicians, students and trainees from various fields. It featured eight speakers from external universities, six UAB speakers, flash talk presentations by faculty members and corporate organization representatives, a trainee poster presentation competition, a trainee flash talk competition and a networking reception. Sessions focused on Exercise and Aging Physiology, Clinical Exercise Interventions and Exercise and Skeletal Muscle Aging.

Speakers:

The Symposium’s external speakers were Jarrod A. Call, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Georgia; Austin Robinson, PhD, Assistant Professor and Director of Neurovascular Physiology Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Auburn University; Elizabeth Camille Vaughan, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division Director, Geriatrics & Gerontology, Emory School of Medicine; Monica Serra, PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Care, UT Health San Antonio; Joe Nocera, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine; Madeleine Hackney, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Emory University School of Medicine; Davis Englund, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kogod Center on Aging LeBrasseur, Lab Mayo Clinic; and Michael Roberts, PhD, Professor, School of Kinesiology, Director of Neurovascular Physiology Laboratory Auburn University.

  • Jarrod A. Call, PhD
    Associate Professor
    Department of Physiology & Pharmacology
    University of Georgia
    Impaired musculoskeletal adaptations to exercise training after
    traumatic muscle injury

  • Austin Robinson, PhD
    Assistant Professor
    School of Kinesiology
    Director of Neurovascular Physiology Laboratory
    Auburn University
    Exercise vs Salt: A Battle for Cardiovascular Health

  • Elizabeth Camille Vaughan, MD
    Associate Professor of Medicine
    Division Director, Geriatrics & Gerontology
    Department of Medicine
    Emory School of Medicine
    Silver Linings in Aging Research

  • Monica Serra, PhD
    Associate Professor
    Department of Medicine
    Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Care
    UT Health San Antonio
    Effects of Weight Regain on Body Composition Following Weight Loss and Exercise

  • Joe Nocera, PhD
    Associate Professor D
    epartment of Neurology
    Emory University School of Medicine
    Exercise for Improved Health Outcomes and Insight into Central Nervous System Functioning

  • Madeleine Hackney, PhD
    Associate Professor of Medicine
    Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology
    Emory University School of Medicine
    Using Dance in Rehabilitation for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Aging

  • Davis Englund, PhD
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
    Kogod Center on Aging
    LeBrasseur Lab
    Mayo Clinic
    Cellular senescence as a mediator of physical function

  • Michael Roberts, PhD
    Professor
    School of Kinesiology
    Director of Neurovascular Physiology Laboratory
    Auburn University
    Re-appraisal of age and resistance training effects on skeletal muscle
    using deep proteomics

UAB Speakers

Six Speakers from various schools within UAB delivered 15-minute talks at the symposium. Scroll through the pictures for their talk titles.

  • Daniel Smith, Jr., PhD
    Associate Professor, School of Health Professions – Nutrition Sciences
    A biology of aging overview with an eye toward exercise

  • Glenn Rowe, PhD
    Associate Professor, Heersink School of Medicine - Cardiovascular Disease
    Transcriptional Regulation of Mitochondrial Parameters in Skeletal Muscle

  • Chae-Myeong (Jenna) Ha, PhD
    Researcher V—Dr. Adam Wende’s Laboratory
    Heersink School of Medicine - Pathology
    Effects of elevated cardiomyocyte specific protein O-GlcNAcylation

  • Nicole Riddle, PhD
    Associate Professor
    College of Arts and Sciences - Biology
    Variation in exercise response – lessons from Drosophila

  • Laura Rogers, MD
    Professor
    Heersink School of Medicine – Medicine
    A scalable approach to promote exercise among older cancer survivors

  • Pariya Wheeler, PhD
    Associate Professor of Nursing School of Nursing - Nursing
    Family, Community & Health Systems
    Physical activity as a tool to promote cognitive health in people aging with HIV: Past, present, and future.

Flash Talks by faculty members and corporate organization representatives

  • Ananda Basu, MBBS, MD, FRCP
    Professor of Medicine
    Heersink School of Medicine - Endocrinology, Diabetes and
    Metabolism
    The University of Alabama at Birmingham
    Hyperglycemia Lowers Lactate Clearance during Exercise in Type 1
    Diabetes

  • Paulien Roos, PhD
    Manager and Senior Research Scientist
    CFD Research Corporation
    The use of a game-based application for older adults with dizziness
    improves compliance to exercise prescription

  • Sara Harper, PhD
    Assistant Professor of Exercise Science
    Department of Kinesiology
    The University of Alabama in Huntsville
    Inter-step Variation of Stairways and Observations of Fall-related Events

Competitions

Abstract Submission:
Students and trainees were invited to submit abstracts on basic, clinical, translational, and population science that are broadly related to: exercise medicine and/or aging.

Flash talk Competition: 
The Symposium featured a flash talk competition, wherein, eight abstracts were selected prior to the symposium for an opportunity to present a 5-minute flash talk to the symposium audience. Abstracts submitted by the participants – with their research’s purpose, methods, results, conclusions, future directions, and acknowledgments – were reviewed by faculty judges prior to the symposium.

Poster Presentation Competition:
The symposium featured a poster presentation competition, highlighting the research of undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral trainees.

From the 35 participants, faculty judges selected - 3 winners for flash talk and presented $700 travel award each; and 5 winners for posters and presented $300 travel award each. The winners were:

Flash Talk Winners:

Julianne Clina (UAB)
Greater Physical Activity Participation Among People with Disabilities Successful at Weight Loss Maintenance 

Ryan Dannemiller (UAB)
The Impact of Serine and Glycine Availability on Skeletal Muscle Cell Composition Following Injury

Mason McIntosh (Auburn University)
Eight weeks of resistance training does not augment markers of skeletal muscle angiogenesis in middle-aged adults

Poster Winners:

Mahima Reddy (UAB)
Comparative Transcriptomics Identifies SLC16A3 As a Potential Downstream Effector of O-GlcNAc-Mediated Cardiac Changes in Diabetes

Catherine Jones (UAB) 
DO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR AND RELATED SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY CONSTRUCTS DIFFER BY MAJOR DEPRESSION STATUS IN PERSONS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS?

Hanna Sothers (UAB) 
Transcriptomic Profile of Severely Affected DMD Skeletal Muscle is Partially Recapitulated by BMP4-Stimulated Mouse Myoblasts

Katherine English (UAB) 
Dock7 is an Essential Regulator of Skeletal Muscle Health and Function

Shia Vang (UAB) 
O-GlcNAc Regulates Fibrosis Resolution in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Congratulations to all the winners and many thanks to all attendees!