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Title: Acting Director, Eastern Colorado GRECC
Distinguished Professor, University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus

Contact: wendy.kohrt@cuanschutz.edu

Dimensions profile: See publications, grant, datasets, patents and clinical trial information.

Personal Statement
I have received continuous funding from the NIH as a principal investigator since 1990. My career has been devoted to clinical research involving exercise, nutrition, hormone, and/or pharmacologic interventions focused on various aspects of metabolism in young and older adults. I have been the Director of Research for the Division of Geriatric Medicine since 1999, and in 2014 I became the Associate Director of Research for the new Eastern Colorado VA Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC). I am currently the PI for U54, U01, and R01 awards from the NIH and a co-investigator for several NIH and VA grants. I have more than 230 original and solicited research publications. I hold several administrative positions, including: Director of the Energy Balance Assessment Core Laboratory in the Colorado Nutrition and Obesity Research Center (NORC); Associate Director of the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI), and Associate Director of the Center for Women’s Health Research (CWHR).

Since moving to the University of Colorado in 1999, I have served as primary research mentor for 20 postdoctoral fellows (11 PhD, 9 MD) and as a co-mentor for 25 postdoctoral fellows (15 PhD, 10 MD). Of my primary trainees, all but 3 advanced their careers in academic research and the majority of them have received major independent research support. Five of my current trainees (2 PhD, 3 MD), who are in the Divisions of Geriatric Medicine, Endocrinology, and Cardiology, hold NIH K awards. I am currently a senior faculty mentor for four T32 programs (Integrative Physiology of Aging; Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease; Training Program in Nutrition; Renal and Electrolyte Disease and Hypertension) and three K programs (Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health; Women’s Reproductive Health Research Career Development; CCTSI KL2 Scholars).

Mentoring Activities
I view my activity as a research mentor as one of my important contributions to science. Since 1991, I have mentored or co-mentored 35 PhD-trained and 23 MD-trained research fellows from several departments/divisions (Geriatric Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Infectious Diseases, Cardiology); the majority have established independent research careers. I serve as a senior faculty mentor on the following institutional training grants: Integrative Physiology of Aging (T32 AG000279); Nutrition (T32 DK007658); Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease (T32 HL116276); Colorado Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (K12 HD057022); and Colorado WHRH Career Development Center (K12 HD001271). I have served as mentor or co-mentor for 28 postdoctoral fellows supported by a T32 award, 8 supported by an F32 award, and 18 supported by a K award.

Dr. Kohrt's has 325 publications with 12,892 citations of her work, 77% of her publications have at least 1 citation. Her top ten areas of research interests are:

• Clinical Research (178)
• Aging (135)
• Prevention (11)
• Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities (63)
• Estrogen (55)
• Cardiovascular (55)
• Osteoporosis (50)
• Nutrition (49)
• Obesity (40)
• Diabetes (37)
• Rehabilitation (36)

Recent Publications

Patterson CG, Joslin E, Gil AB, Spigle W, Nemet T, Chahine L, Christiansen CL, Melanson E, Kohrt WM, Mancini M, Josbeno D, Balfany K, Griffith G, Dunlap MK, Lamotte G, Suttman E, Larson D, Branson C, McKee KE, Goelz L, Poon C, Tilley B, Kang UJ, Tansey MG, Luthra N, Tanner CM, Haus JM, Fantuzzi G, McFarland NR, Gonzalez-Latapi P, Foroud T, Motl R, Schwarzschild MA, Simuni T, Marek K, Naito A, Lungu C, Corcos DM; SPARX3-PSG Investigators. Study in Parkinson's disease of exercise phase 3 (SPARX3): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2022 Oct 6;23(1):855. doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-06703-0. PMCID: PMC9535216. PMID: 36203214
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Dolan E, Dumas A, Keane KM, Bestetti G, Freitas LHM, Gualano B, Kohrt WM, Kelley GA, Pereira RMR, Sale C, Swinton PA. The Bone Biomarker Response to an Acute Bout of Exercise: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2022 Jul 23. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01718-8. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35870108

Babcock MC, DuBose LE, Hildreth KL, Stauffer BL, Cornwell WK 3rd, Kohrt WM, Moreau KL. Age-associated reductions in cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity are exaggerated in middle-aged and older men with low testosterone. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2022 Jun 30. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00245.2022. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 35771224
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Gavin KM, Sullivan TM, Maltzahn JK, Jackman MR, Libby AE, MacLean PS, Kohrt WM, Majka SM, Klemm DJ. Hematopoietic Stem Cell-Derived Adipocytes Modulate Adipose Tissue Cellularity, Leptin Production and Insulin Responsiveness in Female Mice. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Jun 3;13:844877. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.844877. PMCID: PMC9203959.
PMID: 35721743
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Swanson CM, Shanbhag P, Tussey EJ, Rynders CA, Wright KP Jr, Kohrt WM. Bone Turnover Markers After Six Nights of Insufficient Sleep and Subsequent Recovery Sleep in Healthy Men. Calcif Tissue Int. 2022 Feb 8. doi: 10.1007/s00223-022-00950-8. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 35133471.
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Marlatt KL, Pitynski-Miller DR, Gavin KM, Moreau KL, Melanson EL, Santoro N, Kohrt WM. Body composition and cardiometabolic health across the menopause transition. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2022 Jan;30(1):14-27. doi: 10.1002/oby.23289.
PMID: 34932890.
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Wherry SJ, Swanson CM, Kohrt WM. Acute catabolic bone metabolism response to exercise in young and older adults: A narrative review. Exp Gerontol. 2021 Nov 23:111633. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111633. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 34826573

Babcock MC, DuBose LE, Witten TL, Stauffer BL, Hildreth KL, Schwartz RS, Kohrt WM, Moreau KL. Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with age-related endothelial dysfunction in men with low testosterone. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Oct 1:dgab715. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab715. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 34597384

Gillman AS, Helmuth T, Koljack CE, Hutchison KE, Kohrt WM, Bryan AD. The Effects of Exercise Duration and Intensity on Breast Cancer-Related DNA Methylation: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Aug 17;13(16):4128. doi: 10.3390/cancers13164128. PMCID: PMC8394212.
PMID: 34439282

Gavin KM, Sullivan TM, Maltzahn JK, Rahkola JT, Acosta AS, Kohrt WM, Majka SM, Klemm DJ. Hematopoietic stem cells produce intermediate lineage adipocyte progenitors that simultaneously express both myeloid and mesenchymal lineage markers in adipose tissue. Adipocyte. 2021 Dec;10(1):394-407. doi: 10.1080/21623945.2021.1957290.
PMID: 34404315

Hamilton BR, Staines KA, Kelley GA, Kelley KS, Kohrt WM, Pitsiladis Y, Guppy FM. The Effects of Exercise on Bone Mineral Density in Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Calcif Tissue Int. 2021 Aug 11. doi: 10.1007/s00223-021-00893-6. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 34382100

Wherry SJ, Blatchford PJ, Swanson CM, Wellington T, Boxer RS, Kohrt WM. Maintaining Serum Ionized Calcium during Brisk Walking Attenuates the Increase in Bone Resorption in Older Adults. Bone. 2021 Jul 9:116108. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2021.116108. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 34252605

Depner CM, Rice JD, Tussey EJ, Eckel RH, Bergman BC, Higgins JA, Melanson EL, Kohrt WM, Wright K Jr, Swanson CM. Bone turnover marker responses to sleep restriction and weekend recovery sleep. Bone. 2021 Jun 30:116096. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2021.116096. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 34216838

Mijakovac A, Jurić J, Kohrt WM, Krištić J, Kifer D, Gavin KM, Miškec K, Frkatović A, Vučković F, Pezer M, Vojta A, Nigrović PA, Zoldoš V, Lauc G. Effects of Estradiol on Immunoglobulin G Glycosylation: Mapping of the Downstream Signaling Mechanism. Front Immunol. 2021 May 25;12:680227. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.680227. PMCID: PMC8186398.
PMID: 34113353

Wherry SJ, Wolfe P, Schwartz RS, Kohrt WM, Jankowski CM. Ibuprofen taken before exercise blunts the IL-6 response in older adults but does not alter bone alkaline phosphatase or c-telopeptide. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2021 Apr 19. doi: 10.1007/s00421-021-04691-8. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 33876259

Park YM, Jankowski CM, Swanson CM, Hildreth KL, Kohrt WM, Moreau KL. Bone Mineral Density in Different Menopause Stages is Associated with Follicle Stimulating Hormone Levels in Healthy Women. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 29;18(3):1200. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18031200.
PMID: 33572819

Sailer C, Edelmann H, Buchanan C, Giro P, Babcock M, Swanson C, Spotts M, Schulte M, Pratt-Cordova A, Coe G, Beindorff M, Page RL 2nd, Ambardekar AV, Pal JD, Kohrt W, Wolfel E, Lawley JS, Tarumi T, Cornwell WK 3rd. Impairments in Blood Pressure Regulation and Cardiac Baroreceptor Sensitivity Among Patients With Heart Failure Supported With Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices. Circ Heart Fail. 2021 Jan;14(1):e007448. doi: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.120.007448. Epub 2021 Jan 19. PMCID: PMC7818348.
PMID: 33464953

Grant Activity

Dr. Kohrt has 14 grants that she is either the principal investigator or co-investigator. The research categories for here grants include:

• Clinical Research (10)
• Aging (9)
• Nutrition (9)
• Prevention (8)
• Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities (6)
• Estrogen (4)
• Osteoporosis (4)
• Cardiovascular (3)
• Contraception/Reproduction (3)
• Obesity (3)
• Rehabilitation (3)

Current Grants

Enhancing Skeletal Adaptation to Exercise by Attenuating the Acute Disruption of Calcium Homeostasis During Exercise

Grant number: 1I01CX002284
Start/End date: 10/1/2021 - 9/30/2025
Funder: United States Department of Veterans Affairs
NIH website: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10251565

Bioenergetic and Metabolic Consequences of the Loss of Gonadal Function

Grant number: U54AG062319
Funding amount: $4,536,882.00
Start/End date: 9/20/2012 - 5/31/2023
Funder: National Institute on Aging
NIH website: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984225

Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium - Colorado Clinical Center

Grant number: U01AR071124
Funding amount: $8,868,509.00
Start/End date: 12/6/2016 - 11/30/2022
Funder: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
NIH website: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10108941

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