Makenzie Stade

As a former athlete, I have always been interested in exercise and how it impacts the body. I graduated from California State University, San Marcos in 2014 with a B.S. in Kinesiology and studied the physiological effects of recreational surfing as a student research assistant. I am currently working towards a M.S. in Exercise Science at California State University, Long Beach where I work in the PEXS (Physiology of Exercise and Sport) Lab and am a Teaching Associate for Exercise Physiology labs. I am expected to graduate this spring upon completion of my thesis.

Joshua A. Cotter

I am an Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology at California State University, Long Beach. I am the co-director of the Physiology of EXercise and Sport (PEXS) lab where my focus is on understanding how the regulation of skeletal muscle mass affects outcomes on health and sport performance. My general interests include biomechanics of the knee joint, ergogenic aids and sports performance, optimization of training programs and nutritional support for strength and hypertrophy, exercise countermeasures for spaceflight, and the biology of the myogenic satellite cell. I completed his doctoral training at The Ohio State University (GO BUCKS) where I focused on Muscle Physiology and Biomechanics. I continued my training in Exercise Physiology as an NIH sponsored fellow at the University of California, Irvine. I have co-authored a chapter on protein timing in the book “Dietary Protein and Resistance Exercise” and have authored several peer-reviewed articles found in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, and Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance (https://www.researchgate.net/p...). I am certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT). Outside of academics, I enjoy being outdoors playing volleyball at the beach (doesn't happen too often these days) or hiking beautiful spots around the world.

Evan E. Schick

I'm an Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology and Co-Director of the Physiology of EXercise and Sport (PEXS) Lab at California State University, Long beach. In my lab, my long term aim is to elucidate the mechanisms by which skeletal muscle health influences total body health and sport performance. I pursue this aim from an endocrinologic perspective, applying a wide scope of methodologies that range from whole-body to the cellular and molecular level. I'm currently examining: 1) central vs. local hormonal control of signaling pathways that regulate muscle growth and nutrient metabolism, 2) the magnitude these pathways are altered by acute lipemia and hyperglycemia and 3) how acute and chronic exercise modulates the response of these pathways during these states. I recently co-authored a chapter on intermediate program design in the upcoming new edition of Strength Training (Human Kinetics), while my peer-reviewed articles have appeared in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (JSCR), Medicine Sportiva and the Strength and Conditioning Journal. I received my doctorate in Exercise Biology from the University of Toledo (pride of the MAC) and have been a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) for 10 years. The totality of my spare time is devoted to my family and perfecting my condo.