Dr. Stuart Phillips: Building Muscle As a Kinesiology Scientist

Sep 8

3 min read

INTRODUCTION

It is well-known that skeletal muscle is responsible for locomotion. What’s more interesting is that skeletal muscle is the main deciding factor of basal metabolic rate (BMR), the amount of energy the body requires to sustain essential bodily functions at rest. Skeletal muscle is also involved in many other physiological functions including fat oxidation, blood glucose disposal, and reducing the risk of developing Type II diabetes.

Given the various, critical functions of skeletal muscle, scientists want to determine factors that alter or maintain skeletal muscle. Dr. Stuart Phillips, a scientist who has been trying to answer this question, will have an “office hour” with us today to tell us about his academic journey, challenges to becoming a scientist, and the impact of exercise, nutrition, and aging on human skeletal muscle protein turnover.

Dr. Stuart Phillips

AFFILIATION

Dr. Stuart Phillips is a Professor in Kinesiology and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Medicine at McMaster University. He is also one of the lab leads at McMaster’s Exercise Metabolism Research Group in the Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Science at McMaster University.

ACADEMIC & TEACHING BACKGROUND

Undergraduate study:

Dr. Phillips started his undergraduate studies at McMaster University in 1985 with the intention of becoming a physician. One year later, he specialized in Biochemistry. After starting his senior thesis and taking a class on nutrition

, he became interested in research and decided to pursue graduate studies. He graduated with a Honours Bachelor of Science in 1989.

Graduate study:

Dr. Phillips completed his Masters of Science at McMaster University in 1991, where he studied Human Nutrition.

Following the completion of his Master’s degree, he started his Ph.D. at the University of Waterloo in 1991 with a focus in Human Physiology. He finished the program in 1995.

Post-doctoral training:

After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Phillips underwent post-doctoral training at the University of Texas Medical Branch, where he studied metabolism in exercise and other physiological states using stable isotope tracers.

Teaching and Research Career:

Once Dr. Phillips completed his post-doctoral training in Texas, he returned to Canada and joined McMaster University in the Department of Kinesiology as a Professor in 1998.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

The Exercise Metabolism Research Group consists of five labs: Vascular Dynamics Lab, Molecular Exercise Physiology & Muscle Aging Lab, Protein Metabolism Research Lab, Integrative Neuromuscular Biology Lab, and Human Performance Lab. Dr. Phillips is primarily involved in the Protein Metabolism Research Lab, which investigates factors that maintain, increase, or decrease skeletal muscle mass using human models of exercise, immobilization, and aging.

Dr. Phillips is interested not only in studying skeletal muscle mass, but also in assessing skeletal muscle quality based on the amount of force it can generate and the metabolic activity of several enzymes and thermogenic pathways. Dr. Phillips and his group use stable isotope tracers of amino acids to metabolically trace ingested proteins. Common lab techniques used include Western blotting, RT-PCR, and histological and immunohistochemical methods.

AWARDS & LEADERSHIP

Director, McMaster Centre for Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Research (2014 - Present)
Director, Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE) (2016 - 2025)
Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Human Skeletal Muscle Health in Aging (2016 - Present)
Department Chair, Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University (2025 - Present)

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this episode, we follow Dr. Stuart Phillips as he discussed his scientific quest that led to his current accomplishments and leadership in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University. Furthermore, Dr. Phillips shared his research interests surrounding human skeletal muscle, differences between being a scientist in the 1990s and today, as well as advocating for increased protein intake.