معرفی
Dr. Espen Spangenburg is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, where he also holds an appointment at the East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute (ECDOI). Previously, he served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology at the same institution (2015-2021), and held faculty positions at the University of Maryland (2006-2015) and UC Davis (2003-2006).
Dr. Spangenburg's research program focuses on understanding the endocrine-based regulation of physiological and metabolic function of skeletal muscle. His lab employs an integrative experimental approach, using cell culture and animal models to define mechanisms that they then translate to human physiology. They have developed skeletal muscle-specific inducible BRCA1 and ER-alpha knock out mice and techniques to ablate these genes in cultured human myotubes. The lab has pioneered methods to measure force, mitochondrial function, deliver cDNA, and image organelles in single muscle fibers.
His publication record includes over 120 peer-reviewed articles with an h-index of 52 and more than 8,221 total citations, including 19 papers cited over 100 times. His most recent work continues to explore skeletal muscle metabolism, mitochondrial function, and endocrine regulation, with publications in high-impact journals including Cell Metabolism, Diabetes, and Circulation.
Selected Awards:
- 2014 Leda Amick Wilson UMD Mentor of the Year Award
- 2011 Best Paper Award UMD School of Public Health Research Interaction Day
- 2010 Virginia Tech HNFE Outstanding Alumnus Award
- 2008-2014 NIH Loan Repayment Grant Recipient
Dr. Spangenburg serves on multiple editorial boards including American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology and Journal of Applied Physiology. He has been an active NIH study section member since 2015 and has received continuous research funding from NIH and the American Diabetes Association for his work on skeletal muscle function and metabolism.
His lab maintains an active research program investigating the role of BRCA1 and estrogen receptor signaling in skeletal muscle function, with current projects examining how these pathways regulate mitochondrial function and protect against metabolic disease.
