The Arkansas Integrative Metabolic Research Center (AIMRC) will host Kevin Murach, assistant professor in the College of Education and Health Professions, at 12:55 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, in BELL 2267. In this talk, he will discuss how MYC (a transcription factor) affects skeletal muscle biology.

Abstract: MYC is a transcription factor that is an oncogene as well as a rejuvenating Yamanaka factor. Its function in mononuclear cells as well as in cancer is well studied; however, its role in differentiated and multi-nuclear skeletal muscle fibers is not well defined. In this presentation, we will explore how MYC affects skeletal muscle biology.

Biography: Kevin A. Murach, Ph.D., received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned the Ronald Hyatt Scholarship in Exercise Science. After graduating, Dr. Murach completed a master's degree in exercise physiology at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, then earned his Ph.D. in human bioenergetics from the Ball State Human Performance Laboratory in Muncie, Indiana. Dr. Murach spent six years as a post-doctoral fellow/scholar at the University of Kentucky Center for Muscle Biology in Lexington under the guidance of Drs. Charlotte Peterson and John McCarthy. During this time, he was supported by two National Institutes of Health grants (NIH F32 and K99). As an assistant professor of exercise science at the U of A, Dr. Murach's research focuses on understanding the molecular cues that drive exercise adaptations and aging, and the interaction between these two. He is currently funded by the NIH, the American Federation for Aging Research and the Nathan Shock Center, specifically focusing on skeletal muscle, exercise and aging.

This event is supported by NIGMS of the National Institutes of Health under award number P20GM139768. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Pizza and beverages will be served. Please contact Kimberley Fuller, fullerk@uark.edu, for more information.

For those unable to attend in person, this seminar will also be available via Zoom.