Dawn A. Lowe, PhD - MED - Physical Therapy Program, University of Minnesota

Dawn A. Lowe, PhD
Program in Physical Therapy
Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
lowex017@umn.edu

BS in Applied Biology; Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI; 1988.
MS in Clinical Exercise Physiology; University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX; 1990.
PhD in Exercise Science; University of Georgia, Athens, GA; 1994.
Postdoctoral Fellow in Muscle Biology; Univ. of South Florida, Tampa, FL; 1995.
Postdoctoral Fellow in Biochemistry; Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; 1998.

Research Interests:

Broadly defined, my research interests include muscle physiology, aging, muscular dystrophy, and exercise science. The focus of this research is cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle deterioration that occur with age, injury, and disease. Current studies are also aimed at preventing or reversing this muscle deterioration through exercise and pharmacological interventions.

1. Novotny, S.A., G.L. Warren, A.S. Lin, R.E. Guldberg, K.A. Baltgalvis, and D.A. Lowe. Prednisolone treatment and restricted physical activity further compromise bone of mdx mice. J. Musculoskel. Neuronal Interact. Accepted, Jan. 2012.

2. Baltgalvis, K.A., M.A. Jaeger, D.P. Fitzsimons, S.A. Thayer, D.A. Lowe, J.M. Ervasti. Transgenic overexpression of gamma-cytoplasmic actin protects against eccentric contraction-induced force loss in mdx mice. Skeletal Muscle 1: 32, 2011. doi:10.1186/2044-5040-1-32. PMID 21995957.

3. Call, J.A., M.D. Eckhoff, K.A. Baltgalvis, G.L. Warren, D.A. Lowe. Adaptive strength gains in dystrophic muscle exposed to repeated bouts of eccentric contraction. J. Appl. Physiol. 111: 1768-1777, 2011. PMID 21960659.

4. Call, J.A., J.M. Ervasti, and D.A. Lowe. TAT-µUtrophin mitigates the pathophysiology of dystrophin and utrophin double-knockout mice. J. Appl. Physiol. 111: 200-205, 2011. PMID 21565990.

5. Greising, S. A., R.S. Carey, J.E. Blackford, L.E. Dalton, A.M. Kosir, and D.A. Lowe. Estradiol treatment, physical activity, and muscle function in ovarian-senescent mice. Exp. Gerontol. 46: 685-693, 2011. PMID 21570459.

6. Greising, S.M., J.A. Call, T.C. Lund, B.R. Blazar, J. Tolar, and D.A. Lowe. Skeletal muscle contractile function and neuromuscular performance in Zmpste24–/– mice; A murine model of human progeria. AGE, DOI 10.1007/s11357-011-9281-x. 2011. PMID 21713376.

7. Novotny, S.A., G.L. Warren, A.S. Lin, R.E. Guldberg, K.A. Baltgalvis, and D.A. Lowe. Bone is functionally impaired in dystrophic mice but less so than skeletal muscle. Neuromuscul. Disord. 21: 183-193, 2011. PMID 21256750.

8. Prins, K.W., Call, J.A., D.A. Lowe, and J.M. Ervasti. Quadriceps myopathy caused by skeletal muscle specific ablation of ß_cyto-actin. J. Cell Sci. 124: 951-957, 2011. PMID 21325027.

9. Greising, S.M., K.A. Baltgalvis, A.M. Kosir, A.L. Moran, G.L. Warren, and D.A. Lowe. Estradiol's beneficial effect on murine muscle function is independent of muscle activity. J. Appl. Physiol. 110: 109-115, 2011. PMID 20966194.

10. Verma, M., Y. Asakura, H. Hirai, S. Watanabe, C. Tastad, G. Fong, M. Ema, J.A. Call, D.A. Lowe, and A. Asakura. Flt-1 haploinsufficiency ameliorates muscular dystrophy phenotype by developmentally increased vasculature in mdx mice. Hum Mol Genet. 19(21): 4145-4159, 2010. PMID 20705734.

11. Garlich, M.W., K.A. Baltgalvis, J.A. Call, L.L. Dorsey, and D.A. Lowe. Plantarflexion contracture in the mdx mouse. Am. J. Physical Med. Rehab., 89: 976-985, 2010. PMID 21403594.

12. Call, J.A., J.N. McKeehen, S.A. Novotny, and D.A. Lowe. Progressive, resistance voluntary wheel running in the mdx mouse. Muscle Nerve, 42(6): 871-880, 2010. PMID 21104862.

13. Baltgalvis, K.A., S.A. Greising, G.L. Warren, and D.A. Lowe. Estradiol regulates estrogen receptor and antioxidant gene expression in skeletal muscle. PLoS ONE 5(4): e10164, 2010. PMID 20405008.

14. Lowe, D.A., K.A. Baltgalvis, and S.M. Greising. Mechanisms behind estrogens’ beneficial effect on muscle strength in females. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 38(2), 61-67, 2010. PMID 20335737.

15. Greising, S.M., K.A. Baltgalvis, D.A. Lowe, and G.L. Warren. Hormone therapy and skeletal muscle strength: a meta-analysis. J. Gerontol. A:Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. 64A: 1071-1081, 2009. PMID 19561145.

16. Baltgalvis, K.A., J.A. Call, J.B. Nikas, and D.A. Lowe. The effects of prednisolone on skeletal muscle contractility in mdx mice. Muscle Nerve 40: 443-454, 2009. PMID 19618428.

17. Plow, M., V. Mathiowetz, and D.A. Lowe. Comparing individualized rehabilitation to a group wellness intervention for persons with multiple sclerosis. Am. J. Health Prom. 24: 23-26, 2009. PMID 19750959.

18. Sonnemann, K.J., H. Heun-Johnson, A.J. Turner, K.A. Baltgalvis, D.A. Lowe, and J.M. Ervasti. Functional substitution by TAT-utrophin in dystrophin-deficient mice.

19. Landisch, R.M., A.M. Kosir, S.A. Nelson, K.A. Baltgalvis, and D.A. Lowe. Adaptive and nonadaptive responses to voluntary wheel running by mdx mice. Muscle & Nerve 38: 1290-1303, 2008. PMID 18816601.

20. Prochniewicz, E., D.A. Lowe, D.J. Spakowicz, L. Higgins, K. O’Conor, L.V. Thompson, D.A. Ferrington, and D.D. Thomas. Functional, structural and chemical changes in myosin associated with hydrogen peroxide treatment of skeletal muscle fibers. Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 294: C613-C626, 2008. PMID 18003749.

21. Prins, K.W., D.A. Lowe, and J.M. Ervasti. Skeletal Muscle-Specific Ablation γ_cyto-Actin Does Not Exacerbate the mdx Phenotype. PLoS ONE 3: e2419, 2008. PMID 18545671.

22. Gorzek, J.F., K.C. Hendrickson, J.P. Forstner, J.L. Rixen, A.L. Moran, D.A. Lowe. Estradiol and tamoxifen reverse ovariectomy-induced physical inactivity in C57BL/6 mice. Med. Sci. Sport Exerc. 39: 248-256, 2007. PMID 17277588.

23. Moran, A.L., S.A. Nelson, R.M. Landisch, G.L. Warren, and D.A. Lowe. Estradiol replacement reverses ovariectomy-induced muscle contractile and myosin dysfunction in mature female mice. J. Appl. Physiol. 102: 1387-1393, 2007. PMID 17218423.

24. Lund, T.C., R.W. Grange, and D.A. Lowe. Telomere shortening in diaphragm and tibialis anterior muscles of aged mdx mice. Muscle Nerve 36: 387-390, 2007.

25. Warren, G.L., A.L. Moran, H.A. Hogan, A.S. Lin, R.E. Guldberg, and D.A. Lowe. Voluntary run training but not estradiol deficiency alters the tibial bone:soleus muscle functional relationship in mice. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 293: R2015-2026, 2007. PMID 17881616.

NIH, R01-AG031743; "Interaction of Estrogen, Age, and Activity on Musculoskeletal Strength in Females", 2009 to 2014; PI Lowe.

NIH, P30-AR0507220; "Muscular Dystrophy Center Core Laboratories", 2009 to 2014; PI Day (Co-I Lowe).

Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine
Member of the American Physiological Society
Member of the Paul and Sheila Wellstone MDCenter, University of Minnesota
Member of Scientists in Aging Research, University of Minnesota
Member of Powell Center for Women's Health, University of Minnesota
Graduate Faculty Member, Kinesiology, University of Minnesota
Graduate Faculty Member, Gerontology, University of Minnesota
Graduate Faculty Member, Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota

Current Lab Members:

Susan Novotny - PhD Candidate, Graduate Research Assistant
Tara Mader - Graduate Student, Graduate Research Assistant
Michael Eckhoff - Undergraduate Research Scholar
Angela Greising - Junior Scientist
Brian Eby - Undergraduate Research Scholar
Shaojuan Lai - Post-doctoral Fellow