Susan Tsivitse Arthur

Susan Tsivitse Arthur is an Assistant Professor and Laboratory of Systems Physiology Co-Director in the Department of Applied Physiology, Health, & Clinical Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she has been employed since 2006. She previously completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine from 2003-2006.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Applied Physiology from the University of Toledo (2003)
• M.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Toledo (2001)
• B.S. in Biology from the University of Toledo (1995)

Dr. Arthur's research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of sarcopenia (age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function) with particular emphasis on Notch and Wnt signaling pathways during muscle repair. Her work investigates how physiological stimuli such as exercise and muscle lengthening affect these signaling pathways in both young and aged skeletal muscle. She also studies the interaction of these signaling pathways with muscle proteins like Msx1 and Foxk1 that are important for myogenesis. In collaboration with researchers at Appalachian State University, she is investigating phytoecdysteroids from Ajuga turkestanica as potential countermeasures against sarcopenia.

Her publication record shows a clear progression from studying basic muscle injury responses (2003-2005) to increasingly sophisticated investigations of molecular signaling in muscle regeneration (2009-2012), with a particular focus on how these processes are affected by aging. Her research bridges exercise physiology, molecular biology, and gerontology.

Dr. Arthur teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses including Exercise Testing, Exercise Prescription, Research in Nursing & Health Professions, Nutrition, and Cardiopulmonary and Metabolic Diseases Exercise Prescription. She collaborates with researchers at UNC Charlotte, Carolina Medical Center, Appalachian State University, and the University of Copenhagen's Center of Healthy Aging.

She directs research on multiple projects including studies on downhill running effects on Notch and Wnt signaling in both young and aged skeletal muscle, investigations of Notch and Wnt for Msx1 expression during myogenesis, and research on phytoecdysteroids as countermeasures against sarcopenia.