Lessard Lab

Exercise training is a clinically important therapy for the treatment and prevention of many diseases, including metabolic syndrome, diabetes and obesity. The focus of the Lessard Lab, led by principal investigator Sarah Lessard, Ph.D., is determining the molecular mechanisms behind the powerful clinical benefits of exercise in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. The lab employs an integrative, multi-disciplinary approach that inlcudes animal models, tissue culture, in vivo and in vitro genetic manipulations, as well as human studies to elucidate the mechanisms that mediate the health-promoting effects of exercise. Many of the health benefits attributed to exercise training are thought to stem from adaptations in skeletal muscle, since this highly malleable tissue undergoes multiple molecular and morphological changes that support metabolic health in response to exercise. Therefore, Dr. Lessard's lab investigates the specific contributions of skeletal muscle to health and disease, centered in two areas.

Molecular mediators of aerobic capacity

Low exercise-capacity is one of the strongest predictors of disease and mortality, and impaired exercise capacity is an early complication in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Dr. Lessard aims to determine the mechanisms that mediate improvements to exercise capacity and metabolic health with exercise training, with the ultimate goal of improving exercise capacity in populations at risk for metabolic disease. 

Regulation of muscle mass

Muscle wasting is a pathological condition that frequently occurs in conjunction with aging and several age-associated chronic disease states, including obesity and diabetes. The loss of muscle mass with age and chronic disease is one of the strongest predictors of morbidity and mortality. Thus, a major objective of Dr. Lessard's research program is to uncover the mechanisms that contribute to muscle loss with age and metabolic disease.