James McKendry, PhD
Before joining UBC, Dr. James McKendry completed his undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees at the University of Birmingham, UK. James’ PhD focused on understanding the mechanisms of muscle mass regulation in a unique population that epitomises healthy ageing–master athletes. James then moved to Hamilton, Ontario, to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship under the expert guidance of Prof. Stuart Phillips, where he spent five wonderful years in Stu’s Protein Metabolism Research Laboratory (PMRL) in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University.
James joined UBC as an Assistant Professor in Nutrition and Healthy Aging in the Food, Nutrition and Health Program (Human Nutrition group) in July 2024. James is now leading his own research group, “The Muscle Aging (In)activity, and Nutrition Laboratory (The MAIN Lab),” which uses innovative methods (stable isotope tracers and the skeletal muscle biopsy technique) to explore the adaptive response of human skeletal muscle to nutrition, exercise, aging, and disease. James’ research will seek to uncover mechanisms involved in determining skeletal muscle mass and implement novel nutrition strategies to modify outcomes for skeletal muscle, extending the health span.
Keywords: Skeletal muscle, protein metabolism, healthy aging, nutrition, exercise, sarcopenia, muscle disuse, stable isotope tracers, molecular mechanisms
Email: james.mckendry@ubc.ca