Marni Shoemaker

Dr. Marni Shoemaker is an Assistant Professor in the School of Health and Human Sciences at South Dakota State University. Her primary affiliation is within the Department of Nutrition, where she integrates nutritional science and exercise physiology to study skeletal muscle health across the lifespan. She holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences from The University of Texas-El Paso (2022), an M.S. in Nutrition and Health Sciences (specializing in Exercise Physiology) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2015), and a B.A. in Biology and Exercise Science from Augustana College (2013).

Her research focuses on nutritional and metabolic factors influencing muscle health in diverse populations, including youth athletes, aging adults, and individuals with sarcopenia. Key areas include vitamin D and iron deficiencies in athletes, metabolic flexibility in older adults, and the impact of dietary interventions on muscle function. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and USA Weightlifting coach, emphasizing practical applications of her research through teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in nutrition and sports nutrition.

Dr. Shoemaker has received notable awards such as the NSCA Foundation Women’s Scholarship and the SCAN Graduate Student Poster Presentation Award. Her work has been published in high-impact journals like Nutrients, Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle, and Clinical Nutrition, with a focus on translational research bridging nutrition and exercise science. She collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to address public health challenges related to muscle health, longevity, and quality of life.