Melissa Quinn

I was born and raised emersed in Cajun culture in the deep south of Louisiana. Since a very young age I have been interested in the etiology and progression of metabolic disease. My initial studies during my Bachelor’s degree sparked my interest in the potential therapeutic effects of exercise in ameliorating diabetes, obesity, and cancer. I went on to complete a Masters and Doctoral Degree in Exercise Physiology at Michigan State University. In my Masters, I initially studied the impact of early life cardiovascular and metabolic perturbations induced via growth restriction on the gut microbiome and metabolome. In my doctoral studies, I aimed to test the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to ameliorate and/or prevent poor cardiometabolic disease outcomes in this population. I am currently elated to be a new integral part of the Ruas lab and to expand my research experience. My current research interests are on the effects of exercise on the immune system and inflammatory metabolic conditions, as well as the impact of kynurenic acid (a tryptophan derivative) as a mediator of health in multiple metabolic avenues. I also hope to uncover more information about the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms regulating GPR35 activity and its relation to human disease development.