Marni D. Boppart, Sc.D.
- Assistant Professor
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
- College of Applied Health Sciences
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Assistant Professor
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- Download Curriculum Vitae
- Degree
- Sc.D. Applied Anatomy and Physiology, Boston University, 2000
- Area of Professional Interest
- Professor Boppart’s area of professional interest involves understanding the molecular and cellular adaptations to exercise, mechanical loading, and exercise training. She holds a joint appointment at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.
- Research Interests
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Counteracting the loss of skeletal muscle due to disease or aging using exercise therapy or molecular-based interventions is essential for increasing both our quality of life and examining our limits of human performance. Our research focuses on examining the role of the a7b1 integrin as a mechanosensor that regulates cellular signaling and protects against skeletal muscle injury. We are currently using a combination of animal and cell culture models to determine the potential role of the integrin and other extracellular matrix proteins in the:
- mechanotransduction of cellular signaling
- protection from muscle disease (muscular dystrophy, cancer cachexia, insulin resistance)
- protection from exercise-induced muscle injury (repeat bout effect)
- recruitment and activation of adult stem cells
- aging process
- Awards, Academic and Professional Honors
- NIH Predoctoral Fellowship, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, 1998-1999
- Outstanding Doctoral Student, New England American College of Sports Medicine, 2001
- See curriculum vitae for complete list of awards, academic and professional honors
- Publications
- See curriculum vitae for list of publications, proceedings, books, and articles.
