Basic Science Mentor
UAA Endowed Professor and Distinguished Professor
Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology
College of Health and Human Performance
Scott K. Powers, PhD, is a Distinguished Endowed Professor in the Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, and a Professor in the college of Medicine’s Physiology and Functional Genomics department. His research has focused on understanding the adaptive strategies of locomotor and respiratory muscles to a metabolic overload with particular interest in the diaphragm and cardiac muscle. His work has shown that regular treadmill exercise results in a significant increase in the oxidative and antioxidant capacity of both the diaphragm, intercostal, and locomotor muscles. These metabolic alterations can have important implications in delaying fatigue during intense and prolonged ventilatory requirements and/or respiratory muscle weakness induced by disease or glucocorticoid administration. Currently, Dr. Powers is also performing a series of experiments that study the cellular mechanism responsible for muscular atrophy in respiratory muscles during mechanical ventilation and the potential therapeutic effect of antioxidants. His research is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NHLBI) and the American Heart Association. During his 20 year career at the University of Florida Dr. Powers has collaborated with a number NMPT faculty. He also served as the Primary Faculty mentor to former trainees Ashley Smuder, Darin Falk, and Melissa Whidden and is the NMPT Evaluation Coordinator.