In this episode of Science & Chill, I talk with Dr. Karyn Esser, the associate program director at the Institute of Myology at the University of Florida.
Dr. Esser is an expert in the area of biological rhythms, also known as circadian rhythms. In particular, her group focuses on how circadian rhythms function in skeletal muscle and respond to things like exercise, feeding, and light.
In this episode, we talk about why humans (and plants and animals) have circadian rhythms in the first place, the importance of sleep and exercise for maintaining circadian rhythms, and much more. Dr. Esser also answers some bonus questions at the end!
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If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, send them to [email protected].
Links:
Great video on Dr. Esser and Circadian Rhythms: https://youtu.be/QZWllk38iSE
Dr. Esser's bio: https://physiology.med.ufl.edu/faculty/karyn-esser-phd/
Dr. Esser's publications: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?cmd=search&term=esser+ka
Follow Dr. Esser on Twitter: @kaesser
Follow Science & Chill on Twitter: @ScienceChill
Subscribe on iTunes
SHOW NOTES:
Check out this great video on Dr. Karyn Esser from the University of Florida
https://youtu.be/QZWllk38iSE
Dr. Karyn Esser’s scientific publications: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?cmd=search&term=esser+ka
Relevant publications:
Harfmann BD, Schroder EA, Esser KA. Circadian rhythms, the molecular clock, and skeletal muscle. J Biol Rhythms. 2015;30(2):84–94.
Riley LA, Esser KA. The Role of the Molecular Clock in Skeletal Muscle and What It Is Teaching Us About Muscle-Bone Crosstalk. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2017;15(3):222–230.
Wolff CA, Esser KA. Exercise Timing and Circadian Rhythms. Curr Opin Physiol. 2019;10:64–69.
Hodge BA, Zhang X, Gutierrez-Monreal MA, et al. MYOD1 functions as a clock amplifier as well as a critical co-factor for downstream circadian gene expression in muscle. Elife. 2019.
In this episode we talk about:
7:30: The utility of Twitter for scientists: how Dr. Esser uses Twitter to solve problems in her lab, and why she encourages her students and trainees to use Twitter for academic reasons.
You can follow Dr. Esser on Twitter here: @kaesser
13:17: Dr. Essers introduction into science. She didn’t always “want” to be a scientist -- instead starting as a math major and was interested in band and athletics (she wanted to be a conductor at a young age).
Her 7th grade laboratory class taught her a lot about the fundamentals of science
She started as a chemistry major at Wake Forest, and in one class was able to take a trip to the Galapagos Islands. This trip shaped a lot of her thinking about evolutionary approaches to science.
19:00: Our mutual experience working in cardiac rehabilitation
22:30: Working with an exercise program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)
30:30: 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology and/or Medicine. The prize was awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young “for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm.”
Nobel Society press release: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2017/press-release/
36:00: The SCN is no longer considered the “master clock” controlling our circadian rhythms.
We have clocks throughout the body that dictate their own rhythm
38:15: What time of day and when we are exposed to cues like exercise, light, and food play a crucial role in “setting the clock” for our cells
We can “misalign” clocks by sending cues at the wrong times of day or traveling time zones
“Social jetlag”
40:00: Circadian clocks in skeletal muscles and how they respond to exercise
Clocks are sensitive to temperature
42:00: Chronic diseases and aging affect our circadian clocks
44:20: Consequences of circadian misalignment
Shift workers have higher risks for cardiovascular disease and metabolic proble
