Translational Physiology Laboratory

Our mission is to discover or better understand the mechanisms that drive physiological declines during aging, menopause, and disease to advance novel or optimize current intervention strategies to mitigate the pathology related to these processes or conditions.

Our approach is translational – we complete projects in molecules, cells, mice, and humans to accomplish this mission.

Our current interests encompass vascular and skeletal & cardiac muscle biology and immunology in aging, menopause, and disease (e.g., exertional heat stroke and sepsis). We explore mechanisms related to these processes or conditions, such as mitochondrial health and function; epigenetics and related ‘omics data sets; cellular senescence; and/or alterations in factors in circulation (the circulating milieu).

NIH K01HL177339 (PI: Murray) Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant supplementation for improving cerebrovascular function in postmenopausal women (NCT07406243)

• Postmenopausal women are at heightened risk for cardiovascular disease, particularly stroke. This recently NIH-funded 5-year Phase II clinical trial aims to determine whether 3 months supplementation with the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant (MitoQ) can improve brain artery health by reducing mitochondrial oxidative stress in postmenopausal women 60 years of age or older.

Murray KO*, Gioscia-Ryan R*, Justice J, Santos-Parker JR, Bispham NZ, Hutton DA, Darvish S, Miyamoto-Ditmon JH, Clayton ZS, Chonchol M, Seals DR. Rossman MJ. “Translational studies of chronic supplementation with a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant to improve physical function with aging.” Journal of Physiology. 2026 Jan 23. doi.org/10.1113/JP289428.

Darvish S, Murray KO, Mahoney SA, Flickinger MA, Ambrose C, VanDongen NS, Zigler MC, Reisz JA, D’Alessandro A, Nowak K, Clayton ZS, Moreau K, Seals DR, Rossman MJ. “Late-onset menopause attenuates aortic stiffness in the postmenopausal period.” Hypertension. 2026 Jan 12. doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.125.26346.

Murray KO, Mahoney SA, Ludwig KR, Miyamoto-Ditmon JH, VanDongen NS, Banskota N, Herman AB, Seals DR, Mankowski RT, Rossman MJ, Clayton ZS. “Intermittent supplementation with fisetin improves physical function and lowers cellular senescence in skeletal muscle in old mice: A comparison to genetic clearance of senescent cells and synthetic senolytic approaches.” Aging Cell. 2025 May 28:e70114. doi.org/10.1111/acel.70114

Darvish S, Murray KO, Ludwig KR, Avalani KH, Craighead DH, Freeberg KA, Bevers S, Reisz JA, D’Alessandro A, Moreau KL, Seals DR, Rossman MJ. “Preservation of Vascular Endothelial Function in Late-Onset Postmenopausal Women.” Circulation Research. 2025 Feb 28;136(5):455-469. doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.124.325639.

Murray KO, Maurer GS, Gioscia-Ryan RA, Zigler MC, Ludwig KR, D’Alessandro A, Reisz JA, Rossman MJ, Seals DR, Clayton ZS. “The plasma metabolome is associated with preservation of physiological function following lifelong aerobic exercise in mice.” Geroscience. 2024 Jun;46(3):3311-3324. doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01062-x.

Murray KO, Ludwig KR, Darvish S, Coppock ME, Seals DR, Rossman MJ. “Chronic mitochondria targeted antioxidant treatment in older adults alters the circulating milieu to improve endothelial cell function and mitochondrial oxidative stress.” 2023 May 26. American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 2023 325:1, H187-H194. doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00270.2023.

Murray KO, Clanton TC, Horowitz M. “Epigenetic responses to heat: from adaptation to maladaptation.” Experimental Physiology. 2022 Apr 12. doi.org/10.1113/EP090143.

Murray KO, Brant JO, Iwaniec J, Sheikh LH, de Carvalho L, Garcia CK, Robinson GR, Alzahrani J, Riva A, Laitano O, Kladde MP, Clanton TL. “Exertional heat stroke leads to concurrent long-term epigenetic memory, immunosuppression, and altered heat shock response in female mice.” Journal of Physiology. 2020 Oct 7. doi.org/10.1113/JP280518.