Professor John Hawley

Position

Professor, Exercise Physiology

School /
Work Unit

Medical Sciences

Contact Details

+(61 3) 9925 7353

john.hawley@rmit.edu.au

Location

Building: 203
Level: 3
Room: 4

Bundoora West Campus

College/Portfolio

Science, Engineering & Health

Professor John Hawley

Summary of responsibilities

Professor John Hawley is currently Head of the Exercise and Nutrition Research Group and Professor of Exercise Physiology in the School of Medical Sciences at RMIT Life Sciences. The focus of the Exercise and Nutrition Research Group is on aspects of skeletal muscle energy metabolism related to exercise and diabetes, with a particular emphasis on the regulation of carbohydrate and fat metabolism and the mechanisms regulating their use as substrates for muscle during rest and exercise. The use of dietary and exercise interventions in both animal and human models are employed to assess the impact of these perturbations on both whole body metabolism and organ specific sites. In addition, the regulation of muscle membrane excitability and mechanisms of muscle fatigue have been investigated in both healthy and diseased populations.

The aim of the clinical studies undertaken by the Exercise and Nutrition Research Group is to find ways to improve the health and wellbeing of all individuals, but particularly those with type 2 diabetics, a condition that currently affects 1 in 13 Australians. Such interventions typically include both nutritional and exercise life-style modifications.

Professor Hawley’s research group has established collaborations with international groups such as Karolinska Institute Sweden, the Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre in Denmark, the University of Waterloo in Canada, the Garvan Medical Research Institute Sydney and the Australian Institute of Sport Canberra. The research is supported by The Australian Research Council, GlaxoSmithKline (U.K.), The Australian Sports Commission, and Nestle (Switzerland).

Qualifications

  • Ph.D., University of Cape Town, South Africa, 1994
  • Certificate of Education Loughborough University (U.K.), 1987
  • Master of Arts, Ball State University (Indiana, USA), 1986
  • Bachelor of Science (Honours), Loughborough University (U.K.), 1981

Teaching responsibilities

Professor Hawley teaches cell signalling, exercise physiology and sports nutrition at undergraduate level. He also supervises postgraduate research students. His unique research teaching methods won him the award of RMIT Supervisor of the Year in 2001.

Applications are considered for students wishing to undertake Honours, Masters of Applied Science and Doctor of Philosophy awards at the Exercise and Nutrition Research Group. The research programs are funded from many sources and applications are considered at any time of the year. Email enquiries are welcomed and can be directed to Professor Hawley (see email details above).

Research interests

  • Skeletal muscle metabolism in health and disease
    Effect of diet and exercise interventions on the regulation of carbohydrate and fat metabolism
  • Dysregulation of fatty acid metabolism in individuals with type 2 diabetes
    Effect of the breakdown in lipid dynamics in the muscle of individuals with type 2 diabetes on insulin resistance

Industry / profession / community involvement

  • Fellow, American College of Sports Medicine
  • Member, Australian Institute of Sport Research and Ethics Committee
  • Member of Australian Diabetes Society
  • Member of the American Physiological Society
  • Editorial Board member for American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism, Sports Medicine, The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, and The International Journal of Sport Physiology and Performance.

Research publications

Professor Hawley has published over 140 peer-reviewed scientific papers, written over eighty articles for technical journals, as written and edited three textbooks on Exercise Physiology, and has authored numerous book chapters for sports medicine/exercise biochemistry texts.

Recent publications include:

  • Lessard SJ, DA Rivas, ZP Chen, A Bonen, MA Febbraio, DW Reeder, BE Kemp, BB Yaspelkis and Hawley JA. Tissue-specific effects of Rosiglitazone and Exercise in the treatment of lipid-induced insulin resistance. Diabetes. 2007 Apr 17; [Epub ahead of print
  • Singh I, M Mok, AM Christensen, AH Turner and JA Hawley. The effects of polyphenols in olive leaves on platelet function. Nutr Metab Cardiovas Dis 2007 Mar 6; [Epub ahead of print].
  • Singh I, AH Turner, AJ Sinclair, D Li, and JA Hawley. Effects of gamma-tocopherol supplementation on thrombotic risk factors. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 16:000-000, 2007.
  • Aughey RJ, KT Murphy, SA Clark, AP Garnham, RJ Snow, D Cameron-Smith, JA Hawley and MJ McKenna. Muscle Na+,K+ATPase activity and isoform adaptations to intense interval exercise and training in well-trained athletes. J Appl Physiol 2007 Apr 19; [Epub ahead of print].
  • Spargo FJ, SL McGee, N Dzamko, MJ Watt, BE Kemp, SL Britton, LG Koch, M Hargreaves and Hawley JA. Dysregulation of muscle lipid metabolism in rats selectively bred for low aerobic running capacity. Am J Physiol Endocrin Metab E1631-E1636, 2007.
  • Deshmukh AS, JA Hawley and JR Zierath JR. Exercise-induced phospho-proteins in skeletal muscle. Obesity (in press, June 2007).
  • Hawley JA and FJ Spargo. Metabolic adaptations to marathon training and racing. Sports Med 37:328-31. 2007.
  • Murphy KT, RJ Aughey, AC Petersen, SA Clark, C Goodman, JA Hawley, D Cameron-Smith, RJ Snow and MJ McKenna. Effects of endurance training status and sex differences on Na+,K+-pump mRNA expression, content and maximal activity in human skeletal muscle. Acta Physiol (Oxford) 189:259-269, 2007.
  • Churchley EG, VG Coffey, DJ Pedersen, A Shield, KA Carey, D Cameron-Smith, and JA Hawley. Influence of pre-exercise muscle glycogen content on transcriptional activity of metabolic and myogenic genes in well-trained humans. J Appl Physiol 102:1604-11.
  • Coffey VG and JA Hawley. The molecular basis of training adaptation. Sports Med (accepted 19 December 2006).
  • Hawley JA, SJ Lessard. Invited Commentary. Mitochondrial function: Use it or lose it. Diabetologia 50:699-702, 2007.
  • Saunders PU, RD Telford, DB Pyne, EM Peltola, RB Cunningham, CJ Gore and JA Hawley. Short-term plyometric training improves running economy in highly trained middle and long distance runners. J Strength Conditioning Res 20:947-954, 2006.
  • Hawley JA, M Hargreaves, and JR Zierath. Signalling mechanisms in skeletal muscle: role in substrate selection and muscle adaptation. Essays Biochem 42:1-12, 2006.
  • Aughey RJ, SA Clark, CJ Gore, DT Martin, NE Townsend, AG Hahn, TA Kinsman, C Goodman, CM Chow, JA Hawley, and MJ McKenna. Interspersed normoxia during live high, train low interventions reverses an early reduction in muscle Na(+), K(+)ATPase activity in well-trained athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol 98(3):299-309, 2006.
  • Singh I, H Quinn, M Mok, RJ Southgate, AH Turner, D Li, AJ Sinclair, and JA Hawley. The effect of exercise and training status on platelet activation: Do cocoa polyphenols play a role? Platelets 17:361-367, 2006.
  • Coffey VG, and JA Hawley. Invited commentary. Training for performance: Insights from molecular biology. Int J Sport Physiol Performance 1:347-255, 2006.
  • Burke LM, and JA Hawley. Fat and carbohydrate for exercise. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 9:476-481, 2006.
  • Hawley JA, KD Tipton, and ML Millard-Stafford. Promoting training adaptations through nutritional interventions. J Sports Sci 24:709-721, 2006.
  • Deshmukh A, Coffey VG, Zhong Z, Chibalin AV, Hawley JA, Zierath JR. Exercise-induced phosphorylation of the novel Akt substrates AS160 and filamin A in human skeletal muscle. Diabetes 55:1776-82, 2006.
  • Hawley JA and FJ Spargo. Invited Editorial. It’s all in the genes, so pick your parents wisely. J Appl Physiol 100:1751-2, 2006.
  • Carey AL, R Wolsk Petersen, CR Bruce, RJ Southgate, H Pilegaard, JA Hawley, BK Pedersen, and MA Febbraio. Discordant gene expression in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of patients with type 2 diabetes: Effect of IL-6 infusion Diabetologia 49:1000-1007, 2006.
  • Coffey VG, A Shield, BJ Canny, KA Carey, D Cameron-Smith, and JA Hawley. Interaction of contractile activity and training history on transcriptional events in skeletal muscle from trained athletes. Am J Physiol Endocrin Metab 290:E849-E855, 2006.
  • Coffey VG, Z Zhong, A Shield, BJ Canny, AV Chibalin, JR Zierath, and JA Hawley. Early signaling responses to divergent exercise stimuli in skeletal muscle from well-trained humans. FASEB J 20:190-192, 2006.
  • Lessard SJ, ZP Chen, MJ Watt, M Hashem, J Reid, MA Febbraio, BE Kemp, and JA Hawley. Chronic rosiglitazone treatment restores AMPKļ”2 activity in insulin resistant rat skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 290:E251-E257, 2006.
  • Stellingwerff T, LL Spriet, MJ Watt, NE Kimber, M Hargreaves, JA Hawley, and LM Burke. Decreased PDH activation and glycogenolysis during exercise following fat adaptation with carbohydrate restoration. Am J Physiol Endocrin Metab 290:E380-E388, 2006.