Blake B. Rasmussen, Ph.D.

Research

Dr. Rasmussen’s research is in the area of muscle physiology and metabolism. Research topics include: 1) molecular mechanisms regulating muscle growth and atrophy in aging and disease; 2) mTORC1 and nutrient signaling in skeletal muscle; 3) molecular transducers of physical activity; and 4) cellular mechanisms underlying metabolic dysfunction. The lab conducts research in both humans and transgenic mouse models.  The goal of the lab is to develop new strategies and therapies to counteract muscle loss with aging (Sarcopenia) and to improve metabolic health in older adults.

Grants

Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC)
U01 AR071150/AR071130   Rasmussen (PI)   12/07/16-06/30/25

Sex Specific Determinants of Early-Phase Recovery from Skeletal Muscle Disuse
R01 AG064386    Rasmussen (PI)   08/15/19-03/31/25

Affiliations

2022-present   Advisory Editorial Board, Aging Cell

2021                  Honor Award, Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine

2019-2023        Member, NIH Skeletal Muscle & Exercise Physiology Study Section

2012-2016        Member, NIH/AMS Study Section

Training

2000 – Post-doctoral Fellowship – Metabolic Physiology – UTMB

Appointments

2024 – Present – Professor and Chair, Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology – UT Health San Antonio
2009 – 2023 – Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Nutrition & Metabolism – University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
2004 – 2009 – Associate Professor of Nutrition & Metabolism – UTMB
2000 – 2004 – Assistant Professor of Integrative & Evolutionary Biology; Kinesiology – University of Southern California

Lab Members

	Tiffany M Cortes, M.D. Assistant Professor/Clinical
	Elaine Moore-Servin Business Administrator
	Jacquelyn T May Laboratory Manager
	Vladislav Bugay Research Scientist
	Allison Renae Stepanenko Specialist - Barshop Clinical Research Unit Manager - Nurse Practitioner
	Gisela Ramirez Specialist - Nurse Practitioner
	Mellyruth Maldonado MSN, APRN, FNP-C Specialist - Nurse Practitioner
	Ciara Floyd Exercise Physiologist
	Gabrielle Wilcox Exercise Physiologist
	Carla Assis Lacorte Exercise Physiologist
	Katy Casique Cervantes Research Area Specialist
	Yasmine Luna Research Area Specialist
	Sean Paul Kilroe Postdoctoral Research Fellow
	Ji Li Research Associate Senior
	Hanna "Anya" Kalenta Graduate Research Assistant
	Erik Marchant Graduate Research Assistant

Publications

NCBI Link to lab publications

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

The mitochondrial multi-omic response to exercise training across rat tissues
David Amar, Nicole R Gay, David Jimenez-Morales, Pierre M Jean Beltran, Megan E Ramaker, Archana Natarajan Raja, Bingqing Zhao, Yifei Sun, Shruti Marwaha, David A Gaul, Steven G Hershman, Alexis Ferrasse, Ashley Xia, Ian Lanza, Facundo M Fernández, Stephen B Montgomery, Andrea L Hevener, Euan A Ashley, Martin J Walsh, Lauren M Sparks, Charles F Burant, R Scott Rector, John Thyfault, Matthew T Wheeler, Bret H Goodpaster, Paul M Coen, Simon Schenk, Sue C Bodine, Malene E Lindholm; MoTrPAC Study Group
Cell Metab. 2024 Apr 15:S1550-4131(23)00472-2. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.12.021. Online ahead of print. Epub 2024 May 2.

Temporal dynamics of the multi-omic response to endurance exercise training
MoTrPAC Study Group
Nature. 2024 May; 629(8010):174-183. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06877-w. Epub 2024 May 1.

Sexual dimorphism and the multi-omic response to exercise training in rat subcutaneous white adipose tissue
Gina M Many, James A Sanford, Tyler J Sagendorf, Zhenxin Hou, Pasquale Nigro, Katie L Whytock, David Amar, Tiziana Caputo, Nicole R Gay, David A Gaul, Michael F Hirshman, David Jimenez-Morales, Malene E Lindholm, Michael J Muehlbauer, Maria Vamvini, Bryan C Bergman, Facundo M Fernández, Laurie J Goodyear, Andrea L Hevener, Eric A Ortlund, Lauren M Sparks, Ashley Xia, Joshua N Adkins, Sue C Bodine, Christopher B Newgard, Simon Schenk; MoTrPAC Study Group
Nat Metab. 2024 May 1. doi: 10.1038/s42255-023-00959-9. Online ahead of print.

The impact of exercise on gene regulation in association with complex trait genetics
Nikolai G Vetr, Nicole R Gay; MoTrPAC Study Group; Stephen B Montgomery.
Nat Commun. 2024 May 1;15(1):3346. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45966-w.

Metabolomic and Lipidomic Signature of Skeletal Muscle with Constitutively Active mTORC1
Rosario Maroto, Ted G Graber, Trevor B Romsdahl, Andrzej Kudlicki, William K Russell, Blake B Rasmussen
J Nutr. 2023 Oct 26:S0022-3166(23)72670-9.  doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.10.016. Online ahead of print.

Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome Alterations Related to Declining Physical Function in Older Mice
Ted G Graber, Rosario Maroto, Jill K Thompson, Steven G Widen, Zhaohui Man, Megan L Pajski, Blake B Rasmussen.
J Ageing Longev. 2023 Jun;3(2):159-178. doi: 10.3390/jal3020013. Epub 2022 May 31.

GADD45A is a mediator of mitochondrial loss, atrophy, and weakness in skeletal muscle
George R Marcotte, Matthew J Miller, Hawley E Kunz, Zachary C Ryan, Matthew D Strub, Patrick M Vanderboom, Carrie J Heppelmann, Sarah Chau, Zachary D Von Ruff, Sean P Kilroe, Andrew T McKeen, Jason M Dierdorff, Jennifer I Stern, Karl A Nath, Chad E Grueter, Vitor A Lira, Andrew R Judge, Blake B Rasmussen, K Sreekumaran Nair, Ian R Lanza, Scott M Ebert, Christopher M Adams.
JCI Insight. 2023 Oct 10:e171772. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.171772. Online ahead of print.

Postabsorptive muscle protein synthesis is higher in outpatients as compared to inpatients
Paul T Reidy, Michael S Borack, Jared M Dickinson, Chad C Carroll, Nicholas A Burd, Micah J Drummond, Christopher S Fry, Bradley S Lambert, David M Gundermann, Erin L Glynn, Melissa M Markofski, Kyle L Timmerman, Tatiana Moro, Elena Volpi, Scott Trappe, Todd A Trappe, Matthew P Harber, Blake B Rasmussen.
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2023 Aug 1;325(2):E113-E118. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00144.2023. Epub 2023 Jun 14.