Research Rounds
Of Mice and Kids: Skeletal Muscle Mass and Metabolism
Presented by: Rita Brookheart, PhD
Presentation Objectives:
- Introduction and characterization of a patient with a complex phenotype
- Bedside-to-bench approach to elucidate molecular culprits of the patient’s phenotype
- Mechanisms of action identified and investigated
- Next steps and relation to metabolic disorders
About Dr. Brookheart:
Rita Brookheart is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Nutritional Science and Obesity Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. Rita received her PhD from Washington University in St. Louis as an NIH Predoctoral Fellow and completed an NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland before returning to Washington University. As a faculty member, Rita has held several honors in support of her research including two NIH Career development awards, and being named an NIH COURAGE scholar.
In 2021, Rita started her independent research lab focused on understanding the intersection of metabolism and stress responses in human health and disease. Her lab seeks to identify the mechanisms by which metabolic disruptions evident in metabolic disorders impact muscle function and strength through the use of basic and translational approaches.