Justin P. Hardee

I have a diverse training background in human patients and preclinical models examining skeletal muscle homeostasis during ageing and chronic disease.  My PhD research at the University of South Carolina (USA) examined if stimulated muscle contractions could alleviate IL-6 suppression of protein synthesis during cancer.  During this time I utilised genetic and molecular approaches to determine the plasticity of atrophic muscle to nutrients and contractile activity.   I have expertise in techniques such as plasmid electroporation, metabolic phenotyping, muscle hypertrophy models, and transgenic mouse generation/characterisation. I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Centre for Muscle within the Department of Physiology examining the therapeutic potential of slow muscle programming in wasting diseases. I am also interested in determining the environmental/physiological cues that regulate skeletal muscle size, metabolism and function, which could serve as therapeutic targets to improve health and well-being.