We seek to understand the social and lifestyle factors that modulate vascular and cardiometabolic health in humans. Our recent focus in this realm has included understanding the biological and behavioral mechanisms by which Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) promote cardiovascular disease, with a primary focus on sleep disruption and bioenergetic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress-related mechanisms of vascular endothelial dysfunction in this population. This work is currently supported by the NIH (R01) and AHA (Transformational Project Award). Our lab also examines facets (quality, variability) of sleep behavior and their impacts on vascular and metabolic physiology using experimental sleep manipulation. Finally, we have maintained an active program interrogating exercise mode and intensity prescription for the improvement of cardiovascular and metabolic health in adults at increased risk for or with cardiometabolic diseases or disorders (e.g., aging, menopause, hypertension).

May 11, 2022: Dr. Jenkins (PI), Dr. Emily Thomas (Co-I, Psychology and Brain Sciences), and Dr. Chooza Moon (Co-I, Nursing) were awarded a pilot grant from the UI Injury Prevention Research Center to investigate the causal association of Adverse Childhood Experiences with disturbed sleep and cardiometabolic risk in adolescents and young adults.

April 2, 2022: Data presented at Experimental Biology from the lab regarding the effects of exercise training on cardiovascular psychophysiological health outcomes in young adult women with Adverse Childhood Experiences are highlighted by the American Physiological Society: see the story here.

March 29, 2022: Emily Rogers was awarded the ACSM Foundation Doctoral Student Research Grant to support her dissertation research project. Congratulations Emily! 

March 23, 2022: Emily Rogers and Nile Banks were awarded the Graduate College Summer Fellowship for Summer 2022 and the Graduate College Post-Comprehensive Research Fellowship for Fall 2022, respectively. These awards will support Nile and Emily as they complete their dissertation research. Congratulations!

March 21, 2022: Incoming PhD Student, Mark Flores, was awarded the University of Iowa Lulu Merle Johnson Fellowship from the Graduate College. This fellowship is named after Dr. Lulu Johnson, the first African American to earn a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa and in the state of Iowa. Mark is the first to be awarded this destinguished fellowship in HHP! Congratulations, Mark!

March 4, 2022: Nile Banks and Emily Rogers were awarded the 2022 Gail E. Butterfield Nutrition Travel Award and the 2022 Michael L. Pollock Student Scholarship, respectively from the American College of Sports Medicine for their work to be presented at the 2022 Annual ACSM meeting in San Diego. Their presentations are titled, "Neither Resistance Or Aerobic Training Improve Postprandial Lipemia Or Glycemia In Post-menopausal Women" and  "Dose-Response Relationship Between Daily Steps and Fat Metabolism in Young Adults". Congrats, Emily and Nile! 

April 1, 2021: ILAPLM director, Dr. Jenkins, was elected Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) conferred by the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health (LIFESTYLE).

March 30, 2021: ILAPLM PhD student, Emily Rogers, was awarded the C. Pauline Spencer Scholarship by the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and department of Health and Human Physiology. Congratulations, Emily!

December 15, 2020: ILAPLM PhD student, Nile Banks, was awarded a Doctoral Research Grant through the National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation (NSCAF) to investigate the effects of different resistance training modalities on skeletal muscle function and morphology. The purpose of the NSCAF is to support the mission of the National Strength and Conditioning Association by providing funding for educational and research activities that enhance the practical application of strength and conditioning. CONGRATULATIONS NILE!

November 30, 2020: ILAPLM PhD student, Emily Rogers, was awarded a Women's Scholarship through the National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation (NSCAF). The purpose of the NSCAF is to support the mission of the National Strength and Conditioning Association by providing funding for educational and research activities that enhance the practical application of strength and conditioning. CONGRATULATIONS EMILY!