Beth A. Taylor, PhD

Associate Professor (PI)

Department of Kinesiology

Research Overview

Dr. Beth Taylor (formerly Parker) is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at University of Connecticut as well as the Director of Exercise Physiology Research at Hartford Hospital. Her research focuses on age and sex differences in vascular function and cardiovascular responses to exercise. She currently has research support to investigate the effects of factors such as smoking, testicular cancer, exercise and aging on vascular function. She also is a principal or co-investigator on several NIH-funded projects involving the pleiotropic effects of statin therapy (cholesterol-lowering drugs) in humans. These projects include investigation of the direct effects of statins on skeletal muscle strength and aerobic performance, the effects of Coenzyme Q10 supplementation on skeletal muscle side effects, and cognitive side effects of statins assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging. An avid runner herself, Taylor has conducted recent studies at the Boston Marathon to determine the effects of sustained endurance exercise on blood clot risk, markers of cardiovascular injury and stress, and the effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs on these biomarkers. She is particularly interested in obesity as it influences the relationships between statins and muscle/metabolic function, vascular function and aging, and pharmacological-exercise interactions.

Education

Recent/Selected Publications

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