WVU Home
Search: Division Health Sciences CenterWVU  Go
West Virginia University, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center A-Z WVU Site Index Campus Map WVU Directory Contact Us WVU Home School of Medicine
Division of Exercise Physiology

Faculty and Staff

Name: Alway, Stephen E. Ph.D., F.A.C.S.M.
Title: Professor, Department Chair, Director of Laboratory of Muscle Biology
Campus Office: Room 8707D - Health Sciences South
Phone: 304-293-0772
Fax: 304-293-7105
E-mail: salway@hsc.wvu.edu

ACADEMIC POSITIONS:

  • 09/1984 - 10/1986 Research Fellow, Medical Research Council Canada and Ontario Gerontology Fellow, Dept. of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
  • 10/1986 - 07/1989 Instructor, Dept. Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.
  • 10/1986 - 07/1989 Faculty, Human Performance Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center/ST. Paul Hospital, Dallas, TX.
  • 07/1989 - 06/1990 Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK.
  • 07/1990 - 07/1994 Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Science, School of Health and Exercise Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
  • 07/1994 - 07/1995 Associate Professor, (Tenured) Department of Exercise Science, School of Health and Exercise Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
  • 07/1995 - 12/1999 Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa FL.
  • 01/2000 - 06/2005 Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Division of Exercise Physiology West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV.
  • 06/2002 - 06/2005 Adjunct Associate Professor, Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV.
  • 07/2005 - present Professor (Tenured) and Chair, Division of Exercise Physiology West Virginia University School of Medicine.
  • 07/2005 - present Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV.
  • 07/2007- present Director of Graduate Studies, Division of Exercise Physiology.

PUBLICATIONS (within last three years):

  1. Velan, S.S., R. Raylman, J.C. Frisbee, R. Spencer and S.E. ALWAY. Distinct Patterns of Fat Metabolism in Skeletal Muscle of Normal Weight, Overweight, and Obese Humans. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. In press, 2008.
  2. Velan, S.S., N. Said, C. Durst, R. G. Spencer, S. Frisbee, JC. Frisbee, R. R. Raylman, M. A. Thomas, and S.E. ALWAY. In vivo investigation of lipid metabolism in healthy, overweight and obese subjects by localized Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. NMR in Biomedicine. In press, 2008.
  3. Ryan MJ, Dudash HJ, Docherty M, Geronilla KB, Baker BA, Cutlip RG, and S.E. ALWAY. Aging-dependent regulation of antioxidant enzymes and redox status in chronically loaded rat dorsiflexor muscles . J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci in Press, 2008.
  4. Peterson JM, Bryner R, J.C. Frisbee sand S.E. ALWAY. Effects of Exercise and Obesity on UCP3 Content in Rat Hindlimb Muscles. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. In press, 2008.
  5. Peterson JM, Bryner R and and S.E. ALWAY. Satellite cell proliferation is reduced in muscles of obese Zucker rats, but restored with loading. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol In press, 2008.
  6. Pistilli EE and S.E. ALWAY. Systemic elevation of interleukin-15 in vivo promotes apoptosis in skeletal muscles of young adult and aged rats. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 373:20-24, 2008.
  7. Siu, P.M., and S.E. ALWAY. Denervation-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress in skeletal muscle Front. Biosci. Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine, 2008: Chapter 9 pp 1-31, 2008 ISBN: 978-81-308-0267-1.
  8. ALWAY, S.E., and P.M. Siu. Nuclear apoptosis contributes to sarcopenia. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev., Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 51-57, 2008
  9. Degens, H. A.K. Swisher, Y.F. Heijdra, P.M. Siu, P. N. R. Dekhuijzen S.E. ALWAY. Apoptosis and Id2 expression in diaphragm and soleus muscle from the emphysematous hamster. Am. J. Physiol: Cell Physiol. 293: in Press 2007.
  10. Pistilli, E.E., Siu, P.M., and S.E. ALWAY. Responses of interleukin-15 to aging and skeletal muscle unloading-induced apoptosis in rats and quails. Am. J. Physiol: Cell Physiol. 269: in Press 2007.
  11. Smith CA, F.D. Stauber, C.L. Waters CL, S.E. ALWAY and WT Stauber. Transforming growth factor-β following skeletal muscle strain injury in rats. J Appl Physiol In press, 2007.
  12. Cutlip R.G,, B.A. Baker, K.B. Geronilla, R.R. Mercer, M.L. Kashon, G.R. Miller, Z. Murlasits and S.E. ALWAY. Chronic exposure to stretch-shortening contractions results in skeletal muscle adaptation in young rats and maladaptation in old rats. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 31: 573-587, 2006.
  13. K. Krajnak, S. Waugh, R. Miller, B. Baker, K. Geronilla, S.E. ALWAY, and R.G. Cutlip. Bax and MyoD co-localization in satellite cells is increased in the tibialis anterior muscles of old rats. Muscle & Nerve. 34(6): 720-730, 2006.
  14. Pistilli, E.E., Jackson, J.J., and S.E. ALWAY. Death receptor associated pro-apoptotic signaling in aged skeletal muscle. Apoptosis. 11: 2115-2126, 2006.
  15. C.A. Smith, R.D. Chetlin, L. Gutmann, R.A. Yeater, and S.E. ALWAY. Effects of exercise and creatine on myosin heavy chain isoform composition in the vastus lateralis of patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease. Muscle & Nerve. 34:586-594, 2006
  16. Siu, P.M. and S.E. ALWAY. Deficiency of the Bax gene attenuates denervation-induced apoptosis. Apoptosis J. 11: 967-981, 2006.
  17. Murlasits Z., R.G. Cutlip, K.B. Geronilla, and S.E. ALWAY. Resistance training increases heat shock protein levels in skeletal muscle of young and old rats. Exp. Gerontol. 41:398-406, 2006
  18. Siu, P.M. and S.E. ALWAY. Aging alters the reduction of pro-apoptotic signaling in response to loading-induced hypertrophy. Exp. Gerontol. 41: 175-188, 2006.
  19. Siu, P.M. and S.E. ALWAY. Hindlimb unloading increases muscle content of cytosolic but not nuclear Id2 and p53 proteins in young adult and aged rats J. Appl. Physiol J Appl Physiol 100: 907-916, 2006.
  20. Pistilli, E.E., P.M. Siu, and S.E. ALWAY. Molecular regulation of apoptosis in atrophied fast plantaris muscles of young and aged muscles. J. Gerontol. Biol. Sci J. Gerontol. Biol. Sci 61A (3) 245-255, 2006.
  21. Degens, H. and S.E. ALWAY. Control of muscle size during disuse, disease and aging. Int J. Sports Med. 27: 94-99, 2006.
  22. Siu PM and S.E. ALWAY. Subcellular responses of p53 and Id2 in fast and slow skeletal muscle in response to stretch-induced overload. J Appl Physiol 99: 1897-1904, 2005.
  23. Swisher, A.K., S.E. ALWAY, and R. Yeater. The effect of exercise on peripheral muscle in emphysema: A preliminary investigation. Journal of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, 3(1):9-15, 2006.
  24. Siu, P.M. and S.E. ALWAY. Age-related apoptotic responses to stretch-induced hypertrophy in quail slow tonic muscle. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 289: C1105-C1113, 2005.
  25. ALWAY, S.E, Siu PM, Murlasits Z and Butler DC. Muscle Hypertrophy Models: Applications for Research on Aging. Can J Appl Physiol 30: 591-624, 2005.
  26. Siu, P.M., E.E. Pistilli and S.E. ALWAY. Apoptotic responses to hindlimb suspension in gastrocnemius muscles from young adult and aged rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 289: R1015-R1026, 2005.
  27. McKeever, K.H., S.E. ALWAY, Acute progressive resitance exercise alters intracardiac pressure in ponies. Equine Comp. Exerc. Physiol. 2(2):113-118, 2005
  28. Siu, P.M., E.E. Pistilli, M.J. Ryan, and S.E. ALWAY. Aging increases apoptotic suppressor XIAP during muscle unloading following hypertrophy. J. Gerontol:Biol. Sci. 60(8):976-983, 2005
  29. Siu, P.M. and S.E. ALWAY. Mitochondria-associated apoptotic signalling in denervated rat skeletal muscle. J Physiol 565: 309-323, 2005.
  30. Siu, P.M., R.W. Byner, Z. Murlastits and S.E. ALWAY. Response of XIAP, ARC, and FLIP apoptotic suppressors to 8-weeks of treadmill running in rat heart and skeletal muscle. J. Appl. Physiol. 99 (1): 204-209, 2005
  31. Siu, P.M., and S.E. ALWAY. Id2 and p53 participate in apoptosis during unloading-induced muscle atrophy. Am. J. Physiol:Cell Physiol. 288:C1058-1073, 2005.
  32. Siu, P.M., E.E. Pistilli, D.C. Butler and S.E. ALWAY. Aging influences the cellular and molecular responses of apoptosis to skeletal muscle unloading Am. J. Physiol:Cell Physiol. 288:C338-349, 2005.

Book Chapters

ALWAY. S.E. Muscle Hypertrophy. In Scientific Evidence for Musculoskeletal, Bariatric, and Sports Nutrition, ISBN 0849337240, CRC Press, LLC, Chapter 20, Ingrid Kohlstadt, Editor. Chapter 20, 2006.

RESEARCH (within last three years):

Extramural funding - Active

  • 2008 - 2010 Abbott Laboratories. Nutritional reduction of muscle wasting in sarcopenia. S.E. Alway Principal Investigator Goal. To evaluate the efficacy of nutritional intervention to reduce oxidative stress and nuclear apoptosis in muscles of old animals during muscle wasting.
  • 2004 - 2009 NIH/NIA R01AG021530-01 "Regulation of Id2 in hypertrophy and aging". S.E. Alway Principal Investigator. 04/01/2004-03/31/2008 Goal: The overall goal of this proposal is to define cellular and molecular mechanisms of actions of Id2 in muscle growth in aging.

Completed extramural funding in past 5 years

  • 1999 - 2003 NIH, National Institute on Aging, R01AG17143 "MyoD and myogenin in muscle hypertrophy and sarcopenia. S.E. Alway, Principal Investigator. Funded 07-01-99 to 06-30-03. Goal: This project was to identify the role of myoregulatory factors MyoD and myogenin in muscles from old Japanese quail.
  • 2002 - 2003 NIH:NCRR "Supplement for Cobre in Signal Transduction and Cancer RR16440" D.F. Flynn, is the P.I. S.E. Alway is a Co-Investigator and user of the facility 9/30/02 to 4/30/03. Goal: Purchase equipment for the protein data analysis of the proteomic center.
  • 2002 - 2003 NIH:NCRR "Mass spectrometry for proteomics" J. Barnett, Prinicpial Investigator. S.E. Alway,
    Co-Investigator, 5/01/02 to 9/29/03. Goal: Obtaining a mass spectophotometer for protein analysis.

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Our laboratory studies problems in aging heart and skeletal muscle, but the greatest efforts and our current focus is in the biomedical problem of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is an age-associated loss of muscle fiber size and muscle fiber number with aging. This loss of muscle tissue results in decreased muscle strength and a loss of independence, and this is a major problem in the elderly population. Part of this loss is a result of neuro-degenerative processes. Our laboratory uses models of hypertrophy and atrophy to study the neural dependent and neural independent cellular and molecular mechanisms leading muscle growth and muscle atrophy in aging muscles.

Our current projects are in four areas. 1. Determining the role of mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial initiated apoptosis in muscle atrophy and aging. 2. Studies to identify the role of oxidative stress in regulating muscle mass and triggering apoptosis in muscle 3. Identifying strategies that will reduce or prevent the loss of skeletal muscle mass during conditions of disuse, or after weight loss (e.g., in obesity situations where muscle mass is lost along with bodyweight in an attempt to reduce the affects of type 2 diabetes. 4. Investigating nutritional strategies that will offset oxidative stress induced during aging, muscle disuse or increased activity. Our approach is to use an integration of molecular, morphological and physiological tools to address these research questions in humans and non-human models (e.g., rats, mice, birds). These studies have been funded by grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Aging.

REVIEW BOARDS AND OTHER HONORS(last 3 years) :

  • Member Scientific Review Committee (NIH/NIAMS) CMAD, Cellular Mechanism in Aging and Development Study Section (6/02/08-6/03/08)
  • Member, Scientific Review Committee, Special Emphasis Panel, Load Repayment Program ZAR CHW-H(A1)2 (NIH/NIAMS) (04/30/08)
  • Member Scientific Review Committee (NIH/NIAMS) CMAD, Cellular Mechanism in Aging and Development Study Section (2/5/07-2/6/07)
  • Member Scientific Review Committee (NIH/NIAMS) CMAD, Cellular Mechanism in Aging and Development Study Section (10/05/07-10/07/07)
  • Member, Scientific Review Committee, Special Emphasis Panel ZAG1ZIJ-5 J4 (NIH/NIA) (08/28/07)
  • Member Scientific Review Committee (NIH/NIAMS) CMAD, Cellular Mechanism in Aging and Development Study Section (6/7-8/07)
  • Member, NIAMS Special Emphasis Panel (NIH/NIAMS) ZAR1 MLB-G011 (5/23-24/07);
  • Member Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel (NIH/NIAMS) ZAR1 CHW-M A11 (4/30/07);
  • Member, fellowship review committee, ZNSS1 SRB-M 39 (NINDS) (11/17/06) - NINDS – NIH
  • Member scientific review committee ZAG1ZIJ-8J1, Muscle and Aging – National Institutes on Aging (NIH)
  • Member, Site Visit team, National Institutes on Aging (NIH), Muscle and Aging. P01-AG020591
  • Member, Program Project Review, National Institutes on Aging (NIH). Insulin in Aging. ZAG1ZIJ-4 J31 10/10/2005

EDITORIAL BOARD:

  • 07/2008–present Associate Editor, American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology
  • 05/2005-present Associate Editor, Exercise Sports Science Reviews
  • 1992-present Associate Editor, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
  • 1991-1992 Associate Editor, Journal of Applied Sport Science Research

JOURNAL REVIEWER:

J. Physiol. (Lond)., Apoptosis, Physiological Genomics; Muscle & Nerve; Exp. Cell Research; Lasers Surgery and Medicine; J. Gerontology:Biol. Sciences; Journal of Histochem. and Cytochem; Am. J. Physiol. (Cell; Endocrine; Comparative, Heart); The Anatomical Record; International Journal of Sports Medicine; Mechanisms of Growth, Development and Aging; Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology; Acta Phys. Scand.; Exp. Gerontol.; Exp. Physiolol. J. Aging Physical Act.; J. Appl. Physiol.; European J. of Applied Physiol.; Med. Sci. Sports Exerc.; Pflugers Arch; J. Orthoped. Res., Exp. Gerontol.; Exp. Physiology.