Kevin J. Pearson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences
Room 591, Wethington Building
Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences
900 S. Limestone
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40536-0200
Tel: (859)-323-4933 ext 81371
Fax: (859)-257-3646
e-mail: kevin.pearson@uky.edu
Academic Appointments:
• Assistant Professor for the Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences
Education:
• B.S., Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, PA
• Ph.D., Pathobiology & Molecular Med., University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
• IRTA Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology;
National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
Awards:
• Suma Cum Laude, University of Pittsburgh,
Johnstown, PA
• Academic Excellence Award, Pathobiology &
Molecular Medicine, University of
Cincinnati
• American Heart
Association Predoctoral Fellowship
• Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FARE)
• Office of
Dietary Supplements Intramural Training Grant
Research interests:
Eating a healthy diet for 80 years seems like an
unrealistic task for many people even though their lifespan will
likely increase. However, the picture will dramatically change
if eating a healthy diet for 9-18 months during pregnancy and
nursing results in the same benefits for the next generation.
The intrauterine environment affects the development of the
growing embryo and fetus. An unsuitable, unhealthy environment
can lead to termination of pregnancy, but more subtle dietary
factors can influence long-term health in the offspring.
Specifically, using mice as a model, we will explore how
maternal dietary quality and quantity influence metabolism,
cancer rates and aging in offspring. The umbrella hypothesis for
this work is maternal diet and behavior during pregnancy and
nursing will influence lifespan and disease progression in
progeny. First my laboratory will look to characterize the
negative effects found in the offspring of high fat (western
diet) fed dams. This is very important because Western societies
are eating unhealthy diets during pregnancy and this can
influence development of obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD)
and diabetes in late stages of life in the offspring. These studies will provide important new
information on the potential negative impact a western diet may
have during pre-weaning, gestation, and nursing. After this is
established, we will begin looking for ways to protect against
these deleterious effects. Obesity and diabetes are at epidemic
levels and interventions targeting gestation might be an
efficient way to stem the tide.
1. Pearson, K., Saito, H., Woods, S.C., Lund-Katz, S., Tso, P., Phillips, M.C., and Davidson, W.S. The structure of human apolipoprotein A-IV: distinct domain architecture with potential functional implications. (2004) Biochemistry, 43: 10719-29.
2. Pearson, K., YTubb, M.R., Tanaka, M., Zhang, X.Q., Tso, P., Weinberg, R.B., and Davidson, W.S. Specific sequences in the N- and C-termini of apolipoprotein A-IV modulate its conformation and lipid association. (2005) Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280 (46): 38576-82.
3. Davidson, W.S., Ghering, A.B., Beish, L., Tubb, M.R., Hui, D.Y., and Pearson, K. The biotin capture lipid affinity assay (BCLA): A rapid method for determining lipid binding parameters for apolipoproteins. (2006) Journal of Lipid Research, 47 (2): 440-9.
4. Baur, J.A., Pearson, K.J., Price, N.L., Jamieson, H.A., Lerin, C., Kalra, A., Prabhu, V.V., Allard, J.S., Lopez-Lluch, G., Lewis, K., Pistell, P.J., Poosala, S., Becker, K.G., Boss, O., Gwinn, D., Wang, M., Ramaswamy, S., Fishbein, K.W., Spencer, R.G., Lakatta, E.G., LeCouteur, D., Shaw, R.J., Navas, P., Puigserver, P., Ingram, D.K., de Cabo, R., and Sinclair, D.A. Resveratrol improves health and survival of mice on a high-calorie diet. (2006) Nature, 444 (7117): 337-42.
5. Pearson, J., Lewis, K.N., Price, N.L., Chang, J.W., Perez, E., Cascajo, M.V., Tamashiro, K.L, Poosala, S., Csiszar, A., Ungvari, Z., Kensler, T.W., Yamamoto, Y., Egan, J.M., Longo, D.L., Ingram, D.K., Navas, P., and de Cabo, R. Nrf2 mediates cancer protection but not prolongevity induced by caloric restriction. (2008) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 105 (7): 2325-2330.
6. Pearson, J.,Baur, J.A., Lewis, K.N., Peshkin, L., Price, N.L., Minor, R., Perez, E., Kamara, D., Jamieson, H.A., Zhang, Y., Dunn, S., Pleshko, N., Woollett, L., Becker, K.G., Le Couteur, D., Labinskyy, N., Csiszar, A., Ikeno, Y., Ingram, D.K., Navas, P., Wolf, N., Ungvari, Z., Sinclair, D.A., and de Cabo, R. Resveratrol delays age-related deterioration and mimics transcriptional aspects of dietary restriction without extending lifespan. (2008) Cell Metabolism, 8(2):157-68.
