Rebecca Hasson

Last updated
Rebecca Hasson
Alma mater University of Massachusetts
Scientific career
Institutions University of Michigan
Thesis Do Metabolic And Psychosocial Responses To Exercise Explain Ethnic/Racial Disparities In Insulin Resistance?  (2009)

Rebecca Hasson is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan. She researches the causes and consequences of pediatric obesity, how the environment impacts obesity related metabolic risk factors to inform health policies.

Contents

Early life and education

Hasson studied exercise science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, earning a BS in 2001 and a master's in 2005. [1] She completed her PhD at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2009, with her thesis titled "Do metabolic and psychosocial responses to exercise explain ethnic/racial disparities in insulin resistance?". [2] Which considered how non-Hispanic blacks are more insulin-resistant compared to non-Hispanic whites, which increases their risk for Diabetes mellitus type 2. [2] Whilst at University of Massachusetts Amherst she was selected for the Atlantic 10 Conference Volleyball team. [3]

Research and career

Hasson was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Southern California, identifying the mechanisms that contribute to health inequalities at the Childhood Obesity Research Center. [4] In 2010 she started her second postdoctoral fellowship as a W. K. Kellogg Scholar at the University of California, San Francisco's Center on Social Disparities in Health. [4]

She is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan, where she looks at the causes and consequences of pediatric obesity. [5] She combines her background in social epidemiology, pediatric endocrinology and exercise physiology in her current work. Hasson is concerned that a sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of type 2 Diabetes and cancer. [6] In 2017 she worked with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to increase the physical activity of American people. [7] Together, Hasson and ACSM identified four goals:

In 2018 she demonstrated that women stress less as they age. [8]

Hasson is a mentor with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. [9] She has served as President of the Society for the Analysis of African-American Public Health Issues. [9] [10]

Selected publications [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metabolic syndrome</span> Medical condition

Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of at least three of the following five medical conditions: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high serum triglycerides, and low serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

Insulin resistance (IR) is a pathological condition in which cells either fail to respond normally to the hormone insulin or downregulate insulin receptors in response to hyperinsulinemia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdominal obesity</span> Excess fat around the stomach and abdomen

Abdominal obesity, also known as central obesity and truncal obesity, is the human condition of an excessive concentration of visceral fat around the stomach and abdomen to such an extent that it is likely to harm its bearer's health. Abdominal obesity has been strongly linked to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and other metabolic and vascular diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diabetic ketoacidosis</span> Medical condition

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus. Signs and symptoms may include vomiting, abdominal pain, deep gasping breathing, increased urination, weakness, confusion and occasionally loss of consciousness. A person's breath may develop a specific "fruity" smell. The onset of symptoms is usually rapid. People without a previous diagnosis of diabetes may develop DKA as the first obvious symptom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adipose tissue</span> Loose connective tissue composed mostly by adipocytes

Adipose tissue, body fat, or simply fat is a loose connective tissue composed mostly of adipocytes. In addition to adipocytes, adipose tissue contains the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of cells including preadipocytes, fibroblasts, vascular endothelial cells and a variety of immune cells such as adipose tissue macrophages. Adipose tissue is derived from preadipocytes. Its main role is to store energy in the form of lipids, although it also cushions and insulates the body. Far from being hormonally inert, adipose tissue has, in recent years, been recognized as a major endocrine organ, as it produces hormones such as leptin, estrogen, resistin, and cytokines. In obesity, adipose tissue is also implicated in the chronic release of pro-inflammatory markers known as adipokines, which are responsible for the development of metabolic syndrome, a constellation of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. The two types of adipose tissue are white adipose tissue (WAT), which stores energy, and brown adipose tissue (BAT), which generates body heat. The formation of adipose tissue appears to be controlled in part by the adipose gene. Adipose tissue – more specifically brown adipose tissue – was first identified by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner in 1551.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adiponectin</span> Mammalian protein found in Homo sapiens

Adiponectin is a protein hormone and adipokine, which is involved in regulating glucose levels and fatty acid breakdown. In humans, it is encoded by the ADIPOQ gene and is produced primarily in adipose tissue, but also in muscle and even in the brain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Resistin</span> Mammalian protein found in Homo sapiens

Resistin also known as adipose tissue-specific secretory factor (ADSF) or C/EBP-epsilon-regulated myeloid-specific secreted cysteine-rich protein (XCP1) is a cysteine-rich peptide hormone derived from adipose tissue that in humans is encoded by the RETN gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joslin Diabetes Center</span> Hospital in Massachusetts, United States

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyperinsulinemia</span> Abnormal increase in insulin in the bloodstream relative to glucose

Hyperinsulinemia is a condition in which there are excess levels of insulin circulating in the blood relative to the level of glucose. While it is often mistaken for diabetes or hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinemia can result from a variety of metabolic diseases and conditions, as well as non-nutritive sugars in the diet. While hyperinsulinemia is often seen in people with early stage type 2 diabetes mellitus, it is not the cause of the condition and is only one symptom of the disease. Type 1 diabetes only occurs when pancreatic beta-cell function is impaired. Hyperinsulinemia can be seen in a variety of conditions including diabetes mellitus type 2, in neonates and in drug-induced hyperinsulinemia. It can also occur in congenital hyperinsulinism, including nesidioblastosis.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a United States-based nonprofit that seeks to educate the public about diabetes and to help those affected by it through funding research to manage, cure and prevent diabetes. It is a network of 565,000 volunteers which includes 20,000 healthcare professionals and administration staff members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agouti-signaling protein</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Agouti-signaling protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ASIP gene. It is responsible for the distribution of melanin pigment in mammals. Agouti interacts with the melanocortin 1 receptor to determine whether the melanocyte produces phaeomelanin, or eumelanin. This interaction is responsible for making distinct light and dark bands in the hairs of animals such as the agouti, which the gene is named after. In other species such as horses, agouti signalling is responsible for determining which parts of the body will be red or black. Mice with wildtype agouti will be grey, with each hair being partly yellow and partly black. Loss of function mutations in mice and other species cause black fur coloration, while mutations causing expression throughout the whole body in mice cause yellow fur and obesity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adipose triglyceride lipase</span> Mammalian protein found in Homo sapiens

Adipose triglyceride lipase, also known as patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 2 and ATGL, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PNPLA2 gene. ATGL catalyses the first reaction of lipolysis, where triacylglycerols are hydrolysed to diacylglycerols.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karen Teff</span> Geneticist

Karen Teff is a biologist and geneticist. She received her education in Canada and has since been working in the United States. Teff has spent most of her career studying the effects of diabetes and other related diseases on humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francine Ratner Kaufman</span> American endocrinologist

Francine Ratner Kaufman is an American endocrinologist, professor, author, researcher, consultant, and corporate officer in the medical field of diabetes mellitus. She is the author of Diabesity: The Obesity-Diabetes Epidemic That Threatens America. She is currently serves as chief medical officer for Senseonics, Inc.

A person's waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), occasionally written WtHR or called waist-to-stature ratio (WSR), is defined as their waist circumference divided by their height, both measured in the same units. It is used as a predictor of obesity-related cardiovascular disease. The WHtR is a measure of the distribution of body fat. Higher values of WHtR indicate higher risk of obesity-related cardiovascular diseases; it is correlated with abdominal obesity.

A number of lifestyle factors are known to be important to the development of type 2 diabetes including: obesity, physical activity, diet, stress, and urbanization. Excess body fat underlies 64% of cases of diabetes in men and 77% of cases in women. A number of dietary factors such as sugar sweetened drinks and the type of fat in the diet appear to play a role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. Ronald Kahn</span> American physician and scientist

Carl Ronald Kahn is an American physician and scientist, best known for his work with insulin receptors and insulin resistance in diabetes and obesity. He is the Chief Academic Officer at Joslin Diabetes Center, the Mary K. Iacocca Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the National Academy of Sciences since 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adipomastia</span> Medical condition

Adipomastia, also known colloquially as fatty breasts, is a condition defined as an excess of skin and/or a flat layer of adipose tissue in the breasts without true gynecomastia. It is commonly present in men with obesity, and is particularly apparent in men who have undergone massive weight loss. A related/synonymous term is pseudogynecomastia. The condition is different and should be distinguished from gynecomastia, which involves female-like protruding fat tissue and/or glandular tissue in a male. The two conditions can usually be distinguished easily by palpation to check for the presence of glandular tissue. Another difference between the conditions is that breast pain/tenderness does not occur in pseudogynecomastia. Sometimes, gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia are present together; this is related to the fact that fat tissue expresses aromatase, the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of estrogen, and estrogen is produced to a disproportionate extent in men with excessive amounts of fat, resulting in simultaneous glandular enlargement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Vidal-Puig</span> Spanish medical doctor and scientist

Antonio Vidal-Puig is a Spanish medical doctor and scientist who works as a Professor of Molecular Nutrition and Metabolism at the University of Cambridge (UK), best known for advancing the concept that pharmacological targeting of brown fat may serve to treat overweight and obesity in affected individuals, as well as for introducing the concept of adipose tissue "expandability" as an important factor in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance in the context of positive energy balance. His published work focuses on areas such as adipose tissue metabolism and lipotoxicity, regulation of insulin secretion, and the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Eve Van Cauter is an American researcher on sleep, glucose regulation, and endocrinology. She is the Frederick H. Rawson Professor in the section of adult and pediatric endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, and the director of the sleep, metabolism and health center at the University of Chicago. Her research is primarily focused on the impact of sleep and circadian rhythms on glucose regulation and metabolism. She was one of the first people to discover that sleep deprivation effects the body.

References

  1. "Rebecca Hasson, PhD | Faculty Profiles | U-M School of Public Health". sph.umich.edu. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  2. 1 2 Elizabeth, Hasson, Rebecca (2009). Do Metabolic and Psychosocial Responses To Exercise Explain Ethnic/Racial Disparities in Insulin Resistance? (Thesis). University of Massachusetts Amherst.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. "Rebecca Hasson Garners All-Conference Accolades in Volleyball - University of Massachusetts". University of Massachusetts Athletics. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  4. 1 2 "Physical Activity and Health Laboratory at UMASS". www.umass.edu. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  5. "Rebecca Hasson, Ph.D. | Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation". ihpi.umich.edu. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  6. Scullen, Lindsey. "Work hard, play hard: Troy company gets employees dancing, and boosts productivity" . Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  7. "Providers should help patients be more physically active | Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation". ihpi.umich.edu. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  8. "Aging: The natural stress reliever for many women | Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation". ihpi.umich.edu. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  9. 1 2 "FASEB > Professional Development & Diversity Resources > Diversity in Science > MARC Peer Mentors Network > Rebecca Hasson, PhD". faseb.org. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  10. Hasson, Rebecca E.; Rowley, Diane L.; Blackmore Prince, Cheryl; Jones, Camara P.; Jenkins, William C. (November 2014). "The Society for the Analysis of African-American Public Health Issues (SAAPHI)". American Journal of Public Health. 104 (11): 2072–2075. doi:10.2105/ajph.2013.301672. ISSN   0090-0036. PMC   4202962 . PMID   25295606.
  11. "Rebecca Hasson - Google Scholar". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  12. Lê, Kim-Anne; Mahurkar, Swapna; Alderete, Tanya L.; Hasson, Rebecca E.; Adam, Tanja C.; Kim, Joon Sung; Beale, Elizabeth; Xie, Chen; Greenberg, Andrew S.; Allayee, Hooman; Goran, Michael I. (2011-11-01). "Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Macrophage Infiltration Is Associated With Hepatic and Visceral Fat Deposition, Hyperinsulinemia, and Stimulation of NF-κB Stress Pathway". Diabetes. 60 (11): 2802–2809. doi:10.2337/db10-1263. ISSN   0012-1797. PMC   3198061 . PMID   22025778.