Elisabet Børsheim

Dr. Elisabet Børsheim is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Department of Geriatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). She serves as Director of the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) Physical Activity Core Laboratory and leads the Physical Activity, Energetics and Metabolism Research Lab. With dual expertise in pediatrics and geriatrics, her work bridges early-life and aging research.

• B.Sc. in Sports Sciences and Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology (Norwegian School of Sports Sciences)
• B.Sc. in Natural Sciences and M.Sc. in Physiology (University of Oslo)
• Former Metabolism Unit Director at Shriners Hospitals for Children–Galveston
• Former Associate Professor at University of Texas Medical Branch

Her research focuses on metabolic health across the lifespan, emphasizing how physical activity and nutrition impact growth, obesity, and metabolic disorders. She investigates:

• Effects of maternal exercise during pregnancy on offspring health
• Prevention of obesity and insulin resistance in children
• Role of stable isotope methodology in metabolic studies
• Intersections between mitochondrial function and metabolic disease

Recent publications highlight trends in pediatric obesity interventions, maternal-fetal metabolic programming, and exercise as a therapeutic tool for metabolic disorders. Her work spans clinical trials, cellular bioenergetics, and population-level studies.