Chris Sundberg, Ph.D.

Lab Director

Background: My passion for integrative muscle physiology began as an undergraduate student and stemmed from the desire to enhance my performance as a Division I-A student-athlete. During that time, I realized that the etiologies of muscle fatigue and the physiological factors that limit human performance are not well-understood. Studies in this area are important because without a comprehensive mechanistic understanding, applied endeavors, such as exercise training programs to enhance elite athletic performance and therapeutic interventions to mitigate the detrimental effects of fatigue and muscle weakness in clinical populations (e.g., respiratory and heart failure, COPD, multiple sclerosis, stroke, fibromyalgia, elderly, diabetes) are formulated in the absence of empirical results. The opportunity to contribute to these knowledge gaps ignited my interest in investigating the contractile mechanics of skeletal muscle and the organ systems that support its function, with the long-term goal of identifying the mechanisms of fatigue and muscle weakness in health, aging, and disease.​

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Outside the Lab: When I'm not in the lab, you will most likely find me trying to keep up with my wife (Kelsie), son (Hudson), daughter (Natalie), and dog (Bruiser). I also thoroughly enjoy lifting weights, hiking, camping, alpine skiing, hunting, traveling, quality time with family and friends, homebrewing and pondering the complexities of life over a glass of bourbon.