Michelle Harrison is a Research Assistant Professor and Director of the Health & Integrative Physiology (HIP) Laboratory, a shared biochemistry lab housed within the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. Michelle manages and supervises graduate student, biochemistry-related research activities in the shared laboratory and she also pursues her own research interests. Michelle received her B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of British Columbia in Canada and then worked in a clinical laboratory setting for a number of years as a Medical Laboratory Technologist. A personal interest in exercise and health motivated her to return to graduate school so she pursued her M.S. and Ph.D. in Exercise Science here at the University of Texas at Austin. Michelle's global research interests revolve around investigations into the underlying causes of diseases with an inflammatory component. Her graduate work focused on cardiovascular disease and vascular function in at-risk populations including African Americans along with obese and older individuals. Her current emphasis is on investigating biomarkers that are predictive of the prognosis and/or progression of disease, with a specific focus on diabetes in both humans and animal models.
Ph.D.
in Exercise Physiology, The University of Texas at Austin, 2014
M.S.
in Exercise Physiology, The University of Texas at Austin, 2010
B.S.
in Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2004
Biochemical techniques including ELISA's, multiplexing, automated western blotting, associated data analyses, and standard wet lab skills.
Research involving diabetes, inflammation, and neural control of circulation.
Committee Member,
Social Behavioral Educational IRB, (2022 - Present)
Volunteer,
UT Austin Victim Advocate Network, (2022 - 2023)
Member,
American Heart Association (2020 - Present)
Reviewer,
Graduate Women in Science National Fellowship Program, (2020 - 2022)
Member,
Graduate Women in Science (2018 - Present)
Member,
Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, (2018)
Community Outreach Volunteer Speaker,
'Living a Heart Healthy Lifestyle' educational seminar, Women's Health Conference (2016)
Faculty Coach,
Jeopardy-style Undergraduate Academic Competition, Texas chapter of ACSM (2015 - Present)
Community Outreach Volunteer Speaker,
'Physical Activity and Nutrition for Healthy Aging' educational seminars, Meals on Wheels and More, Congregate Meal Program (2013 - 2014)
Science Fair Judge,
High school and elementary school science fair projects, (2012 - 2018)
Member,
American Physiological Society (2010 - Present)
Member,
Texas Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (2010 - Present)
Member,
American College of Sports Medicine (2009 - Present)
Samora, M., Huo, Y., McCuller, R.K.., Chidurala, S., Stanhope, K.L.., Havel, P.J.., Stone, A.J.. & Harrison, M.L.. (2023). Spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity is attenuated in male UCD-type 2 diabetes mellitus rats: a link between metabolic and autonomic dysfunction.. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical.
Huo, Y., Grotle, A.K.., McCuller, R.K.., Samora, M., Stanhope, K.L.., Havel, P.J.., Harrison, M.L.. & Stone, A.J.. (2022). Exaggerated Exercise Pressor Reflex in Male UC Davis Type 2 Diabetic Rats is Due to the Pathophysiology of the Disease and not Aging.. Frontiers in Physiology.
Henneghan, A.M.., Fico, B., Wright, M. & Harrison, M.L.. (2021). Effects of meditation compared to music listening interventions on biomarkers in breast cancer survivors with cognitive complaints: secondary outcomes of a pilot randomized control trial.. Explore.
Grotle, A.K.., Huo, Y., Harrison, M.L.., Ybarbo, K.M.. & Stone, A.J.. (2021). GsMTx-4 normalizes the exercise pressor reflex evoked by intermittent muscle contraction in early-stage type 1 diabetic rats.. American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
Huo, Y., Grotle, A.K.., Ybarbo, K.M.., Lee, J., Harrison, M.L.. & Stone, A.J.. (2020). Effects of acute hyperglycemia on the exercise pressor reflex in healthy rats.. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical.
Harrison, ML., Wolfe, AS., Fordyce, J., Rock, J., Garcia, AA. & Zuniga, JA. (2019). The additive effect of type 2 diabetes on fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, tryptophan and threonine in people living with HIV. Amino Acids, 51(5), 783-793. doi:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30868261.
Grotle, AK., Garcia, EA., Harrison, ML., Huo, Y., Crawford, CK., Ybarbo, KM. & Stone, AJ. (2019). Exaggerated mechanoreflex in early-stage type 1 diabetic rats: role of Piezo channels. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative an Comparative Physiology, 316(5), R417-R426. doi:.
Grotle, AK., Crawford, CK., Huo, Y., Ybarbo, KM., Harrison, ML., Graham, J., Stanhope, KL., Havel, PJ., Fadel, PJ. & Stone, AJ. (2019). Exaggerated cardiovascular responses to muscle contraction and tendon stretch in UCD type-2 diabetes mellitus rats. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 317(2), H479-H486. doi:.
