Catherine Yeckel, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
Division of Environmental Health Science, John B. Pierce Laboratory
Obesity related insulin resistance is a primary health risk factor, with skeletal muscle playing a dominant role. Although exercise training can be an effective strategy to reduce insulin resistance, it is often not undertaken by obese individuals. Exposure to a mild cold environment may offer a novel means to force the body to beneficially adapt in a fashion similar to that of exercise training. Swings in environmental temperature necessitate a physiologic and metabolic response by the body to maintain, or regain, homeostasis. Physiologic and metabolic responses result in vasoconstriction in skin and increased heat production by skeletal muscle. The primary goal of Professor Yeckel's research is to examine whether mild cold exposure can significantly improve insulin sensitivity and health risk profile in obese adolescents and young adults. Mild cold exposure should improve fuel handling by skeletal muscle and liver, as well as potentially realign the balance of the autonomic nervous system.
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
Selected Publications
DiPietro, L., Dziura, J., Yeckel, C.W., and Neufer, P.D. Exercise and Improved Insulin Sensitivity in Older Women: Evidence of the Enduring Benefits of Higher Intensity Training. Journal of Applied Physiology 100: 142-149, 2006.
Yeckel, C.W., Taksali, S.E., Dziura, J., Weiss, R., Burgert, T.S., Sherwin, R.S., Tamborlane, W.V., and Caprio, S. The Normal Glucose Tolerance Continuum in Obese Youth: Evidence for Impairment in b-cell Function Independent of Insulin Resistance. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 90(2): 747-754, 2005.
Yeckel, C.W., Weiss, R., Dziura, J., Taksali, S.E., Dufour, S., Burgert, T.S., Tamborlane, W.V., and Caprio, S. Validation of Insulin Sensitivity Indices from Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Parameters in Obese Children and Adolescents. Journal of Clincial Endocrinology and Metabolism 89(3): 1096-1101, 2004.
Weiss, R., Dziura, J., Burget, T.S., Taborlane, W.V., Taksali, S., Yeckel, C.W., Allen, K., Lopes, M., Savoye, M., Morrison, J., Sherwin, R., and Caprio, S. Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents. New England Journal of Medicine 350(23): 2362-2374, 2004.
Sheffield-Moore, M., Yeckel, C.W., Volpi, E., Wolf, S.E.,, Morio, B., Chinkes, D.L., Paddon-Jones, D., and Wolfe, R.R. Postexercise Protein Metabolism in Older and Younger Men Following Moderate-intensity Aerobic Exercise. American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism 287(3): E513-E522, 2004.
Durham, W.J., Miller, S.L., Yeckel, C.W., Chinkes, D.L., Tipton, K.D., Rasmussen, B.B., and Wolfe, R.R. Leg Glucose and Protein Metabolism During an Acute Bout of Resistance Exercise in Humans. Journal of Applied Physics 97(4): 1379-1386, 2004.
Durham, W.J., Yeckel, C.W., Miller, S.L., Gore, D.C., and Wolfe, R.R. Exogenous Nitric Oxide Increases Basal Leg Glucose Uptake in Humans. Metabolism 52(6): 662-665, 2003.
Ferrando, A.A., Sheffield-Moore, M, Yeckel, C.W., Gilkinson, C., Jiang, J., Achacosa, A., Lieberman, S.A., Tipton, K., Wolfe, R.R., and Urban, R.J. Testosterone Administration to Older Men Improves Muscle Function: Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms. American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism 282: E601-E607, 2002.
For a further list of Dr. Yeckel’s publications, please see PubMed. |
|
 |
