Erin Stephenson, Ph.D.

Research
Disruptions to energy sensing pathways are at the center of almost all disease states, with macronutrient metabolism influencing tissue structure and function throughout the body. My lab focusses on identifying mechanisms at the intersection of macronutrient partitioning and tissue repair processes with a goal of understanding how adaptations to chronic bioenergetic stress inform whole-body metabolic and physical function. Projects in my lab center on understanding how skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and liver communicate in conditions of bioenergetic stress, such as exercise and cessation of exercise, obesity, monogenic energy storage disorders, and surgical procedures designed to alter body composition.

Teaching
As a member of the Department of Anatomy, I teach courses that focus on describing the development, structure and function of the human body. I am the course director for the Integrated Basic Science Systems course Neural and Musculoskeletal Systems, and  I also offer lab research elective opportunities to students interested in the research offered in my lab.