Catherine Yeckel, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
Division of Environmental Health Science, John B. Pierce Laboratory
Obesity has reached epidemic levels in the United States and in many other countries around the world. There are many deleterious physiological and metabolic consequences associated with obesity, including insulin resistance and sympathetic nervous system dysfunction. However, disentangling the pathophysiological contribution of these key health-risk components has proven difficult. In an effort to understand these issues, my laboratory investigates whether insulin resistance is influenced by sympathetic nervous system dysfunction. More specifically, our interest is in the role of muscle microvasculature perfusion in insulin resistance. We are developing a novel exercise approach to quantify both specific insulin response properties and sympathetic nervous system function. One of our primary objectives is for this exercise model to serve as an efficient, relatively noninvasive strategy for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular health-risk assessment in overweight and obese young people. In addition, my laboratory uses the environment itself —mild cold exposure as a stimulus for sympathetic nervous system activation. We are investigating whether specifically engaging the sympathetic nervous system improves the health profile of overweight and obese young people.
Education
Ph.D., University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, 2001
M.S., University of Pittsburgh, 1992
Awards and Honors
Young Investigator Travel Award, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, American Psychological Society, 2002
Professional Services
Consultant, Healthy Children, Healthy Communities Stepping Stones Children’s Museum, Connecticut’s Statewide Children’s Initiative, 2006
General Advisory Committee Member, Yale General Clinical Research Center, 2006
Ad hoc Reviewer, Pediatric Pre Review Committee, 2006
Trustee, Weikart Family Foundation, 2005-present
Current Research
Mild Cold Exposure: A Non-pharmacological Approach to Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Youth; and The Longitudinal Impact of Diet and/or Exercise-induced Weight Loss on Metabolic Markers of Cardiovascular Risk.
Yale Affiliations
Section of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine
General Clinical Research Center
Publications
DiPietro, L , Dziura, J, Yeckel CW. Relation between abdominal obesity and early-phase hyperglycemia is modulated by hepatic insulin resistance in healthy older women. Diabetes Care (Epub ahead of print Oct 6, 2009).
Yeckel CW, Gulanski B, Zgorski ML, Dziura J, Parish R, and Sherwin RS. Simple exercise recovery index for sympathetic overactivity is linked to insulin resistance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 41(3):505-515, 2009.
DiPietro, L ,Yeckel CW, Dziura, J. Progressive improvement in glucose tolerance following lower-intensity resistance vs. moderate-intensity aerobic training in older women. J. Physical Activity & Health. 5(6):854-869, 2008.
Burgert TS, Duran EJ, Goldberg-Gell R, Dziura J, Yeckel CW, Katz S, Tamborlane WV, and Caprio S. Short-term metabolic and cardiovascular effects of metformin in markedly obese adolescents with normal glucose tolerance. Pediatric diabetes, 9(6)567-576, 2008.
Yeckel CW, Dziura J, and DiPietro L. Abdominal obesity in older women: potential role for disrupted fatty acid reesterification in insulin resistance. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 93: 1285-1291, 2008.
Burgert TS, Taksali SE, Dziura J, Goodman TR, Yeckel CW, Papademetris X, Constable RT, Weiss R, Tamborlane WV, Savoye M, Seyal AA, and Caprio S. Alanine aminotransferase levels and fatty liver in childhood obesity: associations with insulin resistance, adiponectin, and visceral fat. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 91: 4287-4294, 2006.
McCrimmon RJ, Song Z, Cheng H, McNay EC, Weikart-Yeckel C, Fan X, Routh VH, and Sherwin RS. Corticotrophin-releasing factor receptors within the ventromedial hypothalamus regulate hypoglycemia-induced hormonal counterregulation. J Clin Invest 116: 1723-1730, 2006.
DiPietro L, Dziura J, Yeckel CW, and Neufer PD. Exercise and improved insulin sensitivity in older women: evidence of the enduring benefits of higher intensity training. J Appl Physiol 100: 142-149, 2006.
Burgert TS, Dziura J, Yeckel C, Taksali SE, Weiss R, Tamborlane W, and Caprio S. Microalbuminuria in pediatric obesity: prevalence and relation to other cardiovascular risk factors. Int J Obes (Lond) 30: 273-280, 2006.
Weiss R, Taksali SE, Dufour S, Yeckel CW, Papademetris X, Cline G, Tamborlane WV, Dziura J, Shulman GI, and Caprio S. The "obese insulin-sensitive" adolescent: importance of adiponectin and lipid partitioning. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 90: 3731-3737, 2005.
Yeckel CW, Taksali SE, Dziura J, Weiss R, Burgert TS, Sherwin RS, Tamborlane WV, and Caprio S. The Normal Glucose Tolerance Continuum in Obese Youth: Evidence for impairment in {beta}-cell function independent of insulin resistance. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 90: 747-754, 2005
Sheffield-Moore M, Yeckel CW, Volpi E, Wolf SE, Morio B, Chinkes DL, Paddon-Jones D, and Wolfe RR. Postexercise protein metabolism in older and younger men following moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 287: E513-522, 2004.
Durham WJ, Miller SL, Yeckel CW, Chinkes DL, Tipton KD, Rasmussen BB, and Wolfe RR. Leg glucose and protein metabolism during an acute bout of resistance exercise in humans. J Appl Physiol 97: 1379-1386, 2004.
Yeckel CW, Weiss R, Dziura J, Taksali SE, Dufour S, Burgert TS, Tamborlane WV, and Caprio S. Validation of insulin sensitivity indices from oral glucose tolerance test parameters in obese children and adolescents. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 89: 1096-1101, 2004.
Weiss R, Dziura J, Burgert TS, Tamborlane WV, Taksali SE, Yeckel CW, Allen K, Lopes M, Savoye M, Morrison J, Sherwin RS, and Caprio S. Obesity and the metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents. N Engl J Med 350: 2362-2374, 2004.
Durham WJ, Yeckel CW, Miller SL, Gore DC, and Wolfe RR. Exogenous nitric oxide increases basal leg glucose uptake in humans. Metabolism 52: 662-665, 2003.
Ferrando AA, Sheffield-Moore M, Yeckel CW, Gilkison C, Jiang J, Achacosa A, Lieberman SA, Tipton K, Wolfe RR, and Urban RJ. Testosterone administration to older men improves muscle function: molecular and physiological mechanisms. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 282: E601-607, 2002.
Coggan AR, Raguso CA, Gastaldelli A, Sidossis LS, and Yeckel CW. Fat metabolism during high-intensity exercise in endurance-trained and untrained men. Metabolism 49: 122-128, 2000.
Volpi E, Ferrando AA, Yeckel CW, Tipton KD, and Wolfe RR. Exogenous amino acids stimulate net muscle protein synthesis in the elderly. J Clin Invest 101: 2000-2007, 1998.
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