W. Michael Southern, PhD

Graduated: 2018

Dissertation: Muscle oxidative capacity and plasticity after volumetric muscle loss: implications for regenerative rehabilitation

Awards: Dissertation Completion Award (University of Georgia Graduate School), Caroline tum Suden/Frances Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award (American Physiological Society), Travel Award (Alliance for Regenerative Rehabilitation Research & Training)

Publications from Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction Lab:

  1. Nichenko AS, Southern WM, Atuan M, Luan J, Peissig KB, Foltz SJ, Beedle AM, Warren GL, Call JA. 2016. Mitochondrial maintenance via autophagy contributes to functional skeletal muscle regeneration and remodeling. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology 311(2):C190-200.
  2. Southern WM, Nichenko AS, Shill DD, Spencer CC, Jenkins NT, McCully KK, Call JA. 2017. Skeletal muscle metabolic adaptations to endurance exercise training in mice are attainable with simvastatin. PLoS One 12(2):e0172551. 
  3. Tehrani KF, Pendleton EG, Southern WM, Call JA, Mortensen LJ. 2018. Two-photon deep-tissue spatially resolved mitochondrial imaging using membrane potential fluorescence fluctuations. Biomedical Optics Express 9(1):254-259. 
  4. Greising SM, Warren GL, Southern WM, Nichenko AS, Qualls AE, Corona BT, Call JA. 2018. Early rehabilitation for volumetric muscle loss injury augments endogenous regenerative aspects of muscle strength and oxidative capacity. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 19(1):173.
  5. Southern WM, Nichenko AS, Tehrani KF, McGranahan MJ, Krishnan L, Qualls AE, Jenkins NT, Mortensen LJ, Yin H, Yin A, Guldberg RE, Greising SM, Call JA. 2019. PGC1-alpha overexpression partially rescues impaired oxidative and contractile pathophysiology following volumetric muscle loss injury. Scientific Reports 9(1):4079.
  6. Tehrani KF, Latchoumane CV, Southern WM, Pendleton EG, Maslesa A, Karumbaiah L, Call JA, Mortensen LJ. 2019. Five-dimensional two-photon volumetric microscopy of in-vivo dynamic activities using liquid lens remote focusing. Biomedical Optics Express 10(7):3591-3604.
  7. Nichenko AS, Southern WM, Tehrani KF, Qualls AE, Flemington AB, Mercer GH, Yin A, Mortensen LJ, Yin H, Call JA. 2020. Mitochondrial-specific autophagy linked to mitochondrial dysfunction following traumatic freeze injury in mice. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology 318(2):C242-C252.

Current Position: Postdoc, University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, & Biophysics