Chris Pitzer
Faculty Mentor
Zhen Yan
Professor and Director of the Center for Exercise Medicine Research
Research Areas/Interests
Understanding biomolecular processes that confer the metabolic benefits of exercise
How long have you been in your postdoctoral position at Virginia Tech?
Began in November 2024
Briefly describe the research project you are working on as a postdoctoral associate at Virginia Tech. What is the problem you are addressing? What is the expected impact of your work?
I study the role of a de-ubiquitinating enzyme called OTUD1 that is exercise responsive. Our belief is that OTUD1 may have an undescribed role in conferring the metabolic benefits of exercise training in the skeletal muscle.
Why did you choose to pursue postdoctoral training at Virginia Tech?
Returning home to Appalachia was never far from my mind after completing my PhD. What I did not expect was to find the opportunity to continue my training so close to home without sacrificing on facilities, environment, or mentorship. Virginia Tech and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute offered all of those to me and provided a lab well aligned to my interests and expertise.
What are your career goals?
I envision myself running my own research lab some day.
How do you see the resources available to postdoctoral associates at Virginia Tech generally and via this program specifically being helpful to your career and professional development?
Exercise has been described in human records as having profound health benefits since at least the 5th century BCE. Despite this, we still have an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms that provide these benefits. I believe the resources provided to me in the research and innovation program will allow me to bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to the field to begin unraveling some of these molecular mysteries.