Jordan Fuqua, Ph.D.

• Ph.D., Human Physiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 2020

• American Physiological Society 

Healthy skeletal muscle is essential for mobility, metabolic health, and independence, yet the cellular systems that maintain muscle quality decline with age. Our research focuses on how nutrient-sensing pathways, autophagy, and lysosomal function coordinate the recycling of damaged proteins and organelles to preserve skeletal muscle health. We investigate how dysfunction in these pathways contributes to age-related muscle decline. By integrating molecular and physiological approaches, our laboratory seeks to develop nutritional and therapeutic strategies that promote healthy aging and improve resilience.

• National Istitutes of Health, Investigating TFEB as a critical node to improve proteostatic maintenance and skeletal muscle function with age, K99/R00. Principle investigator, 2024-2029, $1,017,000 

NCBI bibliography

• Gimla M, Olszewski S, Brown JL, Raymond-Pope C, Rigsby S, Peelor III FF, Hae Ryong K, Yao L, Olson LE, Fuqua JD, Miller BF. Overactive PDGFRα and PDGFRβ promote distinct yet overlapping phenotypes of skeletal muscle fibrosis and stiffness, with PDGFRβ also driving drastic muscle growth. AJP Cell, 2026 Apr, PMID: 41509204
• Mesquita PHC, Halle JL, Fuqua JD, Miller BF. Applying lessons from limb muscle disuse and ageing to better understand ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction. Exp Physiol, 2025 Jul, PMID: 40638619
• Fuqua JD, Mesquita PHC, Taylor ME, Borowik AK. Muscle-specific mitophagy: insights into hindlimb and diaphragm responses during health and sepsis. J Physiol, 2024 Oct, PMID: 39222396
• Musci RV, Fuqua JD, Peelor FF, Nguyen HVM, Richardson A, Choi S, Miller BF, Wanagat J. Age-induced changes in skeletal muscle mitochondrial DNA synthesis, quantity, and quality in genetically unique rats. Geroscience, 2024 Sep, PMID: 39312152
• Fuqua JD, Lawrence MM, Hettinger Z, Borowik AK, Brecheen PL, Szczygiel MM, Abbott CB, Peelor FF, Confides AL, Kinter M, Bodine SC, Dupont-Versteegden EE, Miller BF. Impaired Proteostatic Mechanisms Other Than Decreased Protein Synthesis, Limits Old Skeletal Muscle Recovery After Disuse Atrophy. JCSM, 2023 July, PMCID: PMC10570113
• Penniman CM, Bhardwaj G, Nowers CJ, Brown CU, Junck TL, Boyer CK, Jena J, Fuqua JD, Lira VA, O'Neill BT. Loss of FoxOs in muscle increases strength and mitochondrial function during aging. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2022 Nov, PMID: 36442857 
• Harris MP, Zhang QJ, Cochran CT, Ponce J, Alexander S, Kronemberger A, Fuqua JD, Zhang Y, Fattal R, Harper T, Murry ML, Grueter CE, Abel ED, Lira VA. Perinatal versus adult loss of ULK1 and ULK2 distinctly influences cardiac autophagy and function. Autophagy. 2022 Feb, PMCID: PMC9466614 
• Lamin V, Verry J, Eigner-Bybee I, Fuqua JD, Wong T, Lira VA, Dokun AO. Modulation of miR-29a and ADAM12 reduces post-ischemic skeletal muscle injury and improves perfusion recovery and skeletal muscle function in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes and peripheral artery disease. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jan, PMCID: PMC8745107 
• Sousa LGO, Marshall AG, Norman JE, Fuqua JD, Lira VA, Rutledge JC, Bodine SC. The effects of diet composition and chronic obesity on muscle growth and function. J Appl Physiol, 2021 Jan, PMCID: PMC7944928
• Bhardwaj G, Penniman CM, Jena J, Suarez Beltran PA, Foster C, Poro K, Junck TL, Hinton AO Jr, Souvenir R, Fuqua JD, Morales PE, Bravo-Sagua R, Sivitz WI, Lira VA, Abel ED, O'Neill BT. Insulin and IGF-1 receptors regulate complex-I dependent mitochondrial bioenergetics and supercomplexes via FoxOs in muscle. J Clin Invest. 2021 Aug, PMID: 34343133.
• Fuqua JD, Mere CP, Kronemberger A, Blomme J, Bae D, Turner KD, Harris MP, Scudese E, Edwards M, Ebert SM, Sousa LGO, Bodine SC, Yang L, Adams CM, Lira VA. ULK2 is essential for degradation of ubiquitinated protein aggregates and homeostasis in skeletal muscle. FASEB J, 2019 Aug, PMCID: PMC6902739   
• Ramos AM, Senna GW, Scudese E, Dantas EHM, Silva-Grigoletto ME, Fuqua JD, and Pardono E. Cardiovascular and strength adaptations in concurrent training in hypertensive women. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte 25, no. 5 (2019): 367-371. 
• Sorensen JR, Fuqua JD, Dehyle MR, Parmley J, Skousen C, Hancock C, Parcell AC, Hyldahl RD. Preclinical characterization of the JAK/STAT inhibitor SGI-1252 on skeletal muscle function, morphology, and satellite cell content. PLoS One, 2018 June, PMCID: PMC5999283.