Education & Training:
University of Texas, Austin, TX in 1987, BS, Nutrition
University of Texas, Austin, TX in 1992, PhD, Biological Sciences

Research Interests:
We are interested in the study of whole body energy metabolism as regulated by interactions between adipose, liver and muscle tissues. Canonical mechanisms of energy metabolism involve insulin-dependent and insulin–independent pathways in each of these tissues. In addition, adipose secretes adipokines that regulate metabolism and inflammation in non-adipose tissues. We seek to understand how the availability or lack of availability of energy substrates and bioactive compounds (e.g., adipokines and dietary components) modulate metabolism and tissue function of adipose and muscle.

Energy deprivation induces atrophy of muscle and adipose using some overlapping mechanisms including altered metabolism, inflammation, proteolysis and cell death-associated signals. Our work with muscle involves identifying the steps of atrophy related to insulin-resistance, proteolysis and cell death. We use a murine model of muscle atrophy that is induced by cancer cachexia. In this mouse model, cachexia appears to involve early alterations of insulin-mediated metabolism and inflammation that contribute to diminished energy substrate and compromised function of skeletal muscle.

Selected Publications:

• • Belury MA, Cole RM, Bailey BE, Ke J-Y, Andridge RR, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Erythrocyte linoleic acid, but not oleic acid, is associated with improvements in body composition in men and women. Mol Nutr Food Res 2016; 60(5):1206-12.

• • Christian LM, Blair, Porter K, Lower M, Cole RM, Belury MA. Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status in pregnant women: Associations with sleep quality, inflammation, and length of gestation. PLoS One 2016; 11(2): e0148752. PMCID: PMC4747600.

• • Ke J-Y, Cole RM, Hamad EM, Hsiao Y-H, Cotten BM, Powell KA, Belury MA. Citrus flavonoid, naringenin, increases locomotor activity and reduces diacylglycerol accumulation in skeletal muscle of obese ovariectomized mice. Mol Nutr Food Res 2016; 60(2): 313-24 PMCID: PMC4789085.

• • Straka S, Cole RM, Andridge RR, Belury MA, Clinton S, Yee LD. Incorporation of eicosapentaenioic and docosahexaenoic acids into breast adipose tissue of women at high risk of breast cancer: a randomized clinical trial of dietary fish and n-3 fatty acid capsules. Mol Nutr Food Chem 2015; 59(9): 1780-90.

• • Kliewer KL, Ke JY, Stout MB, Cole RM, Samuel VT, Shulman GI, Belury MA. Short-term food restriction followed by controlled refeeding promotes gorging behavior, enhances fat deposition, and diminishes insulin sensitivity in mice. J Nutr Biochem 2015; 26:721-8. PMCID: PMC4461460.

• • Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Habash DL, Fagundes CP, Andridge RR, Peng J, Malarkey WB, Belury MA. Daily stressors, past depression, and metabolic responses to high-fat meals: A novel path to obesity. Biol Psychiatry 2015, 77:653-60 PMCID: PMC4289126.

• • Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Jaremka LJ, Andridge R, Peng J, Habash D, Fagundes CP, Glaser R, Malarkey WB, Belury MA. Marital discord, past depression, and metabolic responses to high-fat meals: Interpersonal pathways to obesity. Psychoneuroimmun 2014; 52: 239-50 PMCID: PMC4297566.

• • Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Epel ES, Belury MA, Andridge R, Lin J, Glaser R, Malarkey WB, Hwang BS, Blackburn E. Omega-3 fatty acids, oxidative stress, and leukocyte telomere length: A randomized controlled trial. Brain Behav Immun 2013; 28:16-24. PMCID: PMC3545053.

• • Asp ML, Tian M, Kliewer KL, Belury MA. Rosiglitazone delayed weight loss and anorexia while attenuating adipose depletion in mice with cancer cachexia. Cancer Biol Ther 2012;12(11):957-65 PMCID: PMC3280914.

My NCBI link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Belury