Research Team

Our research team has the expertise to uniquely assess physical functioning, energy production, fatigue and changes in health parameters within both humans and animals using a variety of laboratory-based assessments. We have extensive experience in receiving IRB and IACUC approval for the use of our models and protocols. If appropriate and necessary based on the research question, cell culture studies can also be performed.

Richard J. Bloomer, PhD is a professor and director of the Cardiorespiratory/Metabolic Laboratory at the University of Memphis. His research is focused on the use of nutraceuticals, dietary supplements and dietary strategies aimed at improving cardiovascular and metabolic health. He is internationally recognized as an expert in the field of oxidative stress and nutraceutical research.

Keith R. Martin, PhD, MTox is a research assistant professor in the College of Health Sciences and the Center for Nutraceutical and Dietary Supplements Research. His research focuses on the effects of dietary supplements as purified bioactive agents or functional foods on risk factors associated with chronic disease (cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammation). He has expertise in cell culture, rodent models and human research.

Max R. Paquette, PhD is an associate professor in the College of Health Sciences. His research interests are largely focused on the biomechanics of the lower limb for performance enhancement and injury prevention. He is interested in the interplay between nutraceuticals and physical recovery following exercise, as well as the anti-inflammatory effect of dietary ingredients.

Brandt Pence, PhD is an associate professor in the College of Health Sciences. His research focuses on changes in immune function and inflammation in response to physiological stimuli such as exercise and nutritional interventions. He has experience in cell culture, rodent models and human research.

Chida Ramanathan, PhD is a research assistant professor in the College of Health Sciences. His research focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying the reciprocal regulation of the circadian clock and cellular metabolism, oxidative stress and aging. He has expertise in functional genomic research, gene editing (CRISPR/Cas9), high-throughput assay, bioluminescence technology, RNAi (shRNA and siRNA), lentivirus and adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated gene delivery, cellular genetics, human and mammalian cell culture, and rodent models research.

Helen Sable, PhD is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology. Dr. Sable is a behavioral pharmacologist and toxicologist. Her research investigates the impact of exposure to teratogens and the effects of nutritional interventions during early development and aging on behavioral health.

Michelle B. Stockton, PhD is an associate professor in the College of Health Sciences. Her research is focused on the identification, prevention and reduction of health risks and incorporates the design, implementation and treatment fidelity of community-based health behavior interventions/programs specifically targeting obesity prevention. Her expertise is in the methodological design and statistical analyses of health-related studies, including bi- and multivariate inferential statistics, degree of relationships, and prediction of group memberships.

Aaryani Tipirneni-Sajja, PhD is an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Memphis. Her research focus is on developing and investigating quantitative metabolomics techniques using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. She has expertise in quantifying metabolites in biofluids and tissue samples for assessing the effects of nutritional interventions on the metabolome.

Marie van der Merwe, PhD is an associate professor in the College of Health Sciences. Her research focus is on the interaction between nutrition and the immune system, focusing particularly on the regulatory mechanisms that counteract inflammation. She has expertise in both cell culture experiments and the use of animal models.

Yufeng Zhang, PhD is an assistant professor in the College of Health Sciences. His research is focused on organismal and mitochondrial bioenergetics, reactive oxygen species production in aging and age-related diseases. He has expertise in pharmaceutical development related with aging and oxidative stress-related diseases.