The Muscle Lab

Research in the muscle lab is focused on the interplay between skeletal muscle structure and the mechanical environment. Routine behavior often involves mechanics that result in near optimal muscle performance. This phenomenon results from a combination of neural learning and muscle adaptation.

Our work concentrates on how muscle adapts to changing mechanical signals. Using a cell culture model, we can isolate mechanotransduction events in muscle from confounding adaptations in the nervous system and connective tissue. Altering the mechanical environment in vivo allows us to examine the systemic response and characterize the role of muscle, tendon and nerve.