During the last 100 years, we have gradually reduced our daily physical activity. As less fit, weaker, and fatter, we have become more prone to diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The WHO reports that one in four adults do not meet the global recommended levels of physical activity.

Our research unit is interested in learning how genetic variation influences skeletal muscle function and whole-body metabolism. We use translational approaches and conduct intervention studies in humans. These studies involve taking muscle biopsies. From these biopsies, muscle stem cells are isolated and later used for preclinical measurements. In our projects, we combine physiological measurements like VO_2max, strength, and glucose tolerance with preclinical readouts, e.g. RNAseq, fibre typing and exon skipping.

We hope that this research will lead to a new understanding of skeletal muscle function with implications primarily for human health and performance, but also provide answers to fundamental evolutionary questions.