Dr. Susan Brooks

Biography

Susan Brooks is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan, where her research focuses on the phenomenon of sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength that occurs with aging. Her laboratory investigates the mechanisms responsible for muscle wasting in both invertebrates and humans, emphasizing the degenerative changes in the structure of neuromuscular synapses that accompany aging. Brooks' work seeks to understand the relative importance of age-associated changes in motor nerves and muscle fibers that initiate disruptions at the neuromuscular junctions, leading to muscle fiber denervation. Additionally, her lab is dedicated to exploring the roles of various important cell types, including muscle stem cells, terminal Schwann cells, and inflammatory cells, in maintaining the integrity of neuromuscular junctions. Through both in vivo and in vitro approaches, they aim to determine the mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility to injury with aging, the decreases in muscle regenerative capacity, and the alterations in the ability to induce protective adaptations. Brooks also holds the title of Christin Carter-Su Collegiate Professor in Molecular Integrative Physiology.

Research Interests