Faculty and Staff

Academic Degrees

• Ph.D, Human Bioenergetics, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, 2000
• M.S., Exercise Science, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, 1997
• B.S., Human Biology, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, Wisconsin, 1994

Specializations

Muscle Physiology, Exercise Physiology and Metabolism

Awards/Honors

• Joyce Elaine Pauls-Morgan Teaching Award, Department of Health, Sports and Exercise Science at the University of Kansas (2009).
• Faculty Achievement Award: Promising Scholar, School of Education at the University of Kansas (2008).
• Accepted to and attended the Baltic Summer School - Signaling in muscle metabolism (August - September 2002).
• Inducted into University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Phoenix Hall of Fame (2000).
• Nominated for Chancellors Leadership Medallion and University Leadership Award, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay (1994).
• Individual Qualifier for NCAA National Championships in Cross-Country Skiing (1991, 1992, and 1994).

Bio

Phil received his Ph.D. from Ball State University in 2000, and continued on for his Post-doctorate at Ball State. During his Post-doctoral training, Phil focused on muscle atrophy of astronauts and cosmonauts on the international space station. After four years of Post-doctoral he accepted a position at the University of Kansas and has assumed the role Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory. One of his main goals, as director of the lab, is to pass on the excellent mentoring that he received to both graduate and undergraduate students. Currently, Phil is finishing up a three year term as President-Elect/President/Past President of the Central States Regional Chapter of the ACSM. Phil also serves on the Graduate Curriculum Committee at the departmental level, and the Human Subjects Review Board for the University of Kansas.

Research Interest(s)

Most of my research attention has focused examining mechanisms related to skeletal muscle atrophy including the following: 1) examining the effects of supplements and resistance exercise on intracellular signaling proteins, 2) the activation of signaling proteins in skeletal muscle in response to stress, and 3) prevention of muscle atrophy with disuse (e.g., elderly and diseased populations). A second line of research involves the role of oxidative stress (i.e., from exercise, aging, etc) in the etiology of disease. This research started while I was exploring the possible causes to fiber-type specific losses in aging skeletal muscle. The mitochondria appear to play a central role in maintaining the health of cells, and muscle cells are particularly susceptible due to their high metabolic activity. Thus, I am interested in 1) the response of cytokines (initiators of oxidative stress) to various conditions such as exercise and aging, and 2) how we can employ methods to reduce the cytokine response to stress. Finally, the third line of research is related to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. This research emerged from conversations with Dr. Jeffery Burns from the Neurology Department at KUMC. I asked Dr. Burns to take over as Medical Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory and we inquired about each other's research. Interestingly, the signaling pathways that Dr. Burns was planning to exam in patients with Alzheimer's disease are the same that I was examining in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, it appears that oxidative stress is being investigated as a primary cause of Alzheimer's disease.