I received my Bachelor’s in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan, where I also served as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the University of Michigan Football team. I then received a Master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and PhD from the University of Illinois, where I discovered the molecular signal that causes load-induced muscle hypertrophy. I did my postdoctoral studies on the molecular mechanism underlying the muscular adaptation to endurance exercise under the direction of the legendary Dr. John O. Holloszy at Washington University in St. Louis. 
I am currently the head of the Functional Molecular Biology Laboratory (FMBLab) at the University of California Davis. My research is focused on determining the effect of exercise, nutrition, age, and disease on musculoskeletal tissue function. Work from my lab spans from the molecular mechanisms that lead to adaptation to human studies that translate these basic discoveries to interventions that improve longevity and quality of life.