Christine Loyd

Christine Loyd
Assistant Professor

Associate Scientist (C), UWIRC Microbiome Center , School of Medicine
Assistant Professor (P), Biomedical Sciences Program , Cytotechnology Program

Overview

I received my BA in Microbiology from Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio in 2004. Thereafter, I started my graduate work at University of Cincinnati where I studied endocrine adaptations to exercise and the impact of exercise as a therapeutic and preventative measure for metabolic disease using animal models. I received my PhD in 2014 and started post-doctoral training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I completed an NIH T32 post-doctoral training program with the UAB Center for Exercise Medicine, and then joined the Department of Medicine Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care Division in 2016 as an NIH K12 IRACDA MERIT Scholar.

I joined the faculty of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences Department in the School of Health Professions at UAB in June 2019 as an assistant professor. I am actively engaged in undergraduate education and service activities for the program, department, school and university; and I have a very active research program that promotes undergraduate student engagement in research activities.

Selected Publications

Academic Article

Year	Title	Altmetric
2022	National Norms for the Elixhauser and Charlson Comorbidity Indexes among Hospitalized Adults.. Journal of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2022
2021	An Analysis of Factors That Influence Students to Pursue Immunology 2021
2021	Development and evolution of a two-day intensive resident experience in geriatric medicine. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education. 42:24-37. 2021
2020	Prevalence of Hospital-Associated Disability in Older Adults: A Meta-analysis. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA): long-term care: management, applied research and clinical issues. 21:455-461.e5. 2020
2018	Hepatic glucagon receptor signaling enhances insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in rodents. Diabetes. 67:2157-2166. 2018
2018	Trajectories of Community Mobility Recovery After Hospitalization in Older Adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 66:1399-1403. 2018
2017	LDB1 regulates energy homeostasis during diet-induced obesity. Endocrinology. 158:1289-1297. 2017
2016	Fibroblast growth factor 21 is required for beneficial effects of exercise during chronic high-fat feeding. Journal of Applied Physiology. 121:687-698. 2016
2015	Moderate voluntary exercise attenuates the metabolic syndrome in melanocortin-4 receptor-deficient rats showing central dopaminergic dysregulation. Molecular Metabolism. 4:692-705. 2015
2014	Brown fat fuel use and regulation of energy homeostasis. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 17:368-372. 2014
2014	Brown fat fuel use and regulation of energy homeostasis. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 17:368-372. 2014

Research Overview

I have two research tracks:

1. The first relates to older adult health and well being. This work aims to understand mechanisms underlying chronic disability among older adult populations including those hospitalized and community-dwelling.

2. The second relates to understanding the biological consequences of social stress among minoritized groups, including the LGBTQ community and racial and ethnic minorities. More specifically, this work aims to determine the impact of physiological stress on health outcomes including the gut microbiome and metabolic health of social minorities.

Future research will include examination of gut microbiome and metabolic health among older adult social minorities and development of targeted interventions for improving gut health among minoritized communities.

Teaching Overview

BMD focuses on preparing undergraduate students for graduate school in the health professions and a career in the healthcare and medical fields. I have developed three BMD courses (Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Immunology, and Research Methods & Scientific Literacy) that aim to challenge students to be dynamic and creative with their thinking about medical topics, to be analytical and logical in problem solving, and to work collaboratively. It is my belief that when students practice these skills early and often they will be elevated to achieve success in their future careers in healthcare.