Supervisor: Dr. Aimee Nelson

Supervisor: Dr. Michael Carter

Dr. Al-Khazraji’s laboratory focuses on exploring blood flow control and vascular physiology in peripheral and cerebral blood vessels. Research interests include: 1) investigating how blood flow is controlled at rest and during cardiovascular challenges such as dynamic exercise,2) understanding vascular health in a range of populations including healthy young individuals to those either at-risk of a vascular-related incident or from a clinical population, 3) how exercise training impacts vascular health, and4) how to expand utility of current vascular imaging tools

Supervisor: Dr. Baraa Al-Khazraji

Supervisor: Dr. Jennifer Heisz

Supervisor: Dr. Gianni Parise

Supervisor: Dr. Maureen MacDonald

Supervisor: Dr. Maureen MacDonald

Research

My research seeks to better understand the relationship between nutrition (especially dietary fats) and metabolic health in adults with breast cancer. Unhealthy metabolic changes develop and worsen during the breast cancer trajectory (diagnosis, treatment, survivorship), often leading to the diagnosis of co-morbidities, like type 2 diabetes and even cancer recurrence, once patients enter survivorship. We do not fully understand why breast cancer patients are predisposed to these metabolic perturbations, but it may be related to certain cancer treatments (e.g., chemotherapy, hormone therapy) or even cancer itself. Cancerous tumours consume fuel (like glucose and lipids) at accelerated rates compared to normal cells, which may impact the metabolic regulation of host tissues, like skeletal muscle.

Students in my laboratory:

1. Manipulate circulating lipids to uncover the mechanisms linking lipid availability and skeletal muscle glucose dysregulation in cancer and non-cancer populations,
2. Apply fat-based nutrition interventions (e.g., omega-3 supplementation) to improve features of glucose metabolism in adults with breast cancer, and
3. Test and develop innovative ultrasound-based techniques to non-invasively assess muscle fat infiltration and metabolic health

I am currently accepting graduate students for Fall 2022. If you are interested in graduate work, please contact me at bellke3@mcmaster.ca.

I am committed to building and supporting an equitable, inclusive, diverse, and accessible lab environment. Members of equity-deserving groups, including (but not limited to) racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and disabled communities, are encouraged to apply for research opportunities in my lab.

Research Interests

Cancer; Nutrition; Dietary fat; Glucose metabolic health; Skeletal muscle; Body composition; Ultrasound

Supervisor: Dr. Martin Gibala

Supervisor: Dr. Martin Gibala

My research examines social-cognitive factors that influence and are influenced by participation in physical activity. Current interests include self-perceptions such as self-efficacy, perceived control, self-regulation, and self-determination. I also investigate people’s perceptions about influential others who interact with them (proxy agents) in their pursuit of behavioural objectives. Understanding relationships between these perceptions and behaviour involves laboratory and field-based research. Challenges faced by people navigating life transitions such as moving away from home to attend college or university, rehabilitating from illness, and becoming a parent are of particular interest.