Co-Director, Basic Science Research Track, LEAD Center
Associate Director, Nutrition Obesity Research Center Pilot Award Program
Recognition & Awards
Elected Member Basic Science Council, Perinatal Research Society
(2023)
William Hansel Visiting Scientist Lecture, Pennington Biomedical Research Center
(2021)
Women’s Health Research Day Poster Award, University of Colorado Center for Women's Health Research
(2016)
Awarded to top 5 abstract presentations of ~30
Young Investigator Travel Grant Award Recipient, American Diabetes Association
(2015)
Awarded to junior scientist presenters of top abstracts
President's Oral Session Abstract Selection, American Diabetes Association
(2015)
Top 8 abstracts of over 4,000
Award Recipient, NIH Loan Repayment Program
(2014)
Women’s Health Research Day Poster Award, University of Colorado Center for Women's Health Research
(2013)
Awarded to top 5 abstract presentations of ~30
Travel Award , Seahorse Bioscience
(2012)
Award Recipient, NIH Loan Repayment Program
(2011)
Department of Biological Sciences Travel Grant, Ohio University
(2003)
Commonwealth Scholar, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
(2001)
Academic Scholarship, State of Connecticut
(1996)
Academic Scholarship, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
(1996)
I have a robust foundation in obesity research, with 18 years dedicated to identifying and understanding metabolic phenotypes in primary human stem cells. My research program aims to understand how fetal exposures predispose infants to metabolic disease later in life. In pursuit of this goal, my lab pioneered the use of mesenchymal stem cells collected from umbilical cord tissue of newborn infants to investigate molecular and metabolic phenotypes predictive of future disease risk. Such tools have allowed us to identify children most at risk for excess adiposity in childhood with greater precision than other common measures collected at birth. As we move toward precision approaches for obesity prevention, infant stem cells will help to identify gestational exposures most impactful, and their modifiability through pregnancy interventions, thereby informing evidence-based prenatal clinical care.
Publications
Gyllenhammer LE, Duensing AM, Keleher MR, Kechris K, Dabelea D, Boyle KE. Fat content in infant mesenchymal stem cells prospectively associates with childhood adiposity and fasting glucose. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Jan;31(1):37-42. PubMed PMID: 36541155
Bulka CM, Everson TM, Burt AA, Marsit CJ, Karagas MR, Boyle KE, Niemiec S, Kechris K, Davidson EJ, Yang IV, Feinberg JI, Volk HE, Ladd-Acosta C, Breton CV, O'Shea TM, Fry RC. Sex-based differences in placental DNA methylation profiles related to gestational age: an NIH ECHO meta-analysis. Epigenetics. 2023 Dec;18(1):2179726. PubMed PMID: 36840948
Keleher MR, Shubhangi S, Brown A, Duensing AM, Lixandrão ME, Gavin KM, Smith HA, Kechris KJ, Yang IV, Dabelea D, Boyle KE. Adipocyte hypertrophy in mesenchymal stem cells from infants of mothers with obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Aug;31(8):2090-2102. PubMed PMID: 37475691
Waldrop SW, Niemiec S, Wood C, Gyllenhammer LE, Jansson T, Friedman JE, Tryggestad JB, Borengasser SJ, Davidson EJ, Yang IV, Kechris K, Dabelea D, Boyle KE. Cord blood DNA methylation of immune and lipid metabolism genes is associated with maternal triglycerides and child adiposity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Oct 23. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 37869908
Song AY, Bulka CM, Niemiec SS, Kechris K, Boyle KE, Marsit CJ, O'Shea TM, Fry RC, Lyall K, Fallin MD, Volk HE, Ladd-Acosta C. Accelerated epigenetic age at birth and child emotional and behavioura development in early childhood: a meta-analysis of four prospective cohort studies in ECHO. Epigenetics. 2023 Dec;18(1):2254971. PubMed PMID: 37691382
Keleher MR, Shubhangi S, Brown A, Duensing AM, Lixandrão ME, Gavin KM, Smith HA, Kechris KJ, Yang IV, Dabelea D, Boyle KE. Adipocyte hypertrophy in mesenchymal stem cells from infants of mothers with obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Aug;31(8):2090-2102. PubMed PMID: 37475691
Semnani-Azad Z, Gaillard R, Hughes AE, Boyle KE, Tobias DK, Perng W. Predictors and risk factors of short-term and long-term outcomes among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their offspring: Moving toward precision prognosis? Nat. Comm. Accepted.
Bulka CM, Everson TM, Burt AA, Marsit CJ, Karagas MR, Boyle KE, Niemiec S, Kechris K, Davidson EJ, Yang IV, Feinberg JI, Volk HE, Ladd-Acosta C, Breton CV, O'Shea TM, Fry RC. Sex-based differences in placental DNA methylation profiles related to gestational age: an NIH ECHO meta-analysis. Epigenetics. 2023 Dec;18(1):2179726. PubMed PMID: 36840948
Gyllenhammer LE, Duensing AM, Keleher MR, Kechris K, Dabelea D, Boyle KE. Fat content in infant mesenchymal stem cells prospectively associates with childhood adiposity and fasting glucose. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Jan;31(1):37-42. PubMed PMID: 36541155
Tobias DK, Merino J, Ahmad A, Aiken C, Benham JL, Bodhini D, Clark AL, Colclough K, Corcoy R, Cromer SJ, Duan D, Felton JL, Francis EC, Gillard P, Gingras V, Gaillard R, Haider E, Hughes A, Ikle JM, Jacobsen LM, Kahkoska AR, Kettunen JLT, Kreienkamp RJ, Lim LL, Männistö JME, Massey R, Mclennan NM, Miller RG, Morieri ML, Most J, Naylor RN, Ozkan B, Patel KA, Pilla SJ, Prystupa K, Raghavan S, Rooney MR, Schön M, Semnani-Azad Z, Sevilla-Gonzalez M, Svalastoga P, Takele WW, Tam CH, Thuesen ACB, Tosur M, Wallace AS, Wang CC, Wong JJ, Yamamoto JM, Young K, Amouyal C, Andersen MK, Bonham MP, Chen M, Cheng F, Chikowore T, Chivers SC, Clemmensen C, Dabelea D, Dawed AY, Deutsch AJ, Dickens LT, DiMeglio LA, Dudenhöffer-Pfeifer M, Evans-Molina C, Fernández-Balsells MM, Fitipaldi H, Fitzpatrick SL, Gitelman SE, Goodarzi MO, Grieger JA, Guasch-Ferré M, Habibi N, Hansen T, Huang C, Harris-Kawano A, Ismail HM, Hoag B, Johnson RK, Jones AG, Koivula RW, Leong A, Leung GKW, Libman IM, Liu K, Long SA, Lowe WL Jr, Morton RW, Motala AA, Onengut-Gumuscu S, Pankow JS, Pathirana M, Pazmino S, Perez D, Petrie JR, Powe CE, Quinteros A, Jain R, Ray D, Ried-Larsen M, Saeed Z, Santhakumar V, Kanbour S, Sarkar S, Monaco GSF, Scholtens DM, Selvin E, Sheu WH, Speake C, Stanislawski MA, Steenackers N, Steck AK, Stefan N, Støy J, Taylor R, Tye SC, Ukke GG, Urazbayeva M, Van der Schueren B, Vatier C, Wentworth JM, Hannah W, White SL, Yu G, Zhang Y, Zhou SJ, Beltrand J, Polak M, Aukrust I, de Franco E, Flanagan SE, Maloney KA, McGovern A, Molnes J, Nakabuye M, Njølstad PR, Pomares-Millan H, Provenzano M, Saint-Martin C, Zhang C, Zhu Y, Auh S, de Souza R, Fawcett AJ, Gruber C, Mekonnen EG, Mixter E, Sherifali D, Eckel RH, Nolan JJ, Philipson LH, Brown RJ, Billings LK, Boyle K, Costacou T, Dennis JM, Florez JC, Gloyn AL, Gomez MF, Gottlieb PA, Greeley SAW, Griffin K, Hattersley AT, Hirsch IB, Hivert MF, Hood KK, Josefson JL, Kwak SH, Laffel LM, Lim SS, Loos RJF, Ma RCW, Mathieu C, Mathioudakis N, Me... Second international consensus report on gaps and opportunities for the clinical translation of precision diabetes medicine. Nat Med. 2023 Oct;29(10):2438-2457. PubMed PMID: 37794253
Starling AP, Friedman C, Boyle KE, Adgate JL, Glueck DH, Allshouse WB, Calafat AM, Bloemsma LD, Dabelea D. Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and early childhood adiposity and cardiometabolic health in the Healthy Start study. Int J Obes (Lond). 2023 Dec 2. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 38042932
Ortega-Santos CP, Pinto AJ, Whipple MO, Pan Z, Boyle KE, Melanson EL, Masters KS, Bessesen DH, Bergouignan A. Breaking up sedentary time to improve glucose control in a population at risk for developing type 2 diabetes (BURST2D study): a randomized controlled trial. Int J Clin Trials. 2023. Feb;10(1):34-44.
Gyllenhammer LE, Picard M, McGill MA, Boyle KE, Vawter MP, Rasmussen JM, Buss C, Entringer S, Wadhwa PD. Prospective association between maternal allostatic load during pregnancy and child mitochondrial content and bioenergetic capacity. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2022 Oct;144:105868. PubMed PMID: 35853381
Chaves AB, Zheng D, Johnson JA, Bergman BC, Patinkin ZW, Zaegel V, Biagioni EM, Krassovskaia P, Broskey NT, May LE, Dabelea D, Houmard JA, Boyle KE. Infant Mesenchymal Stem Cell Insulin Action Is Associated With Maternal Plasma Free Fatty Acids, Independent of Obesity Status: The Healthy Start Study. Diabetes. 2022 Aug 1;71(8):1649-1659. PubMed PMID: 35621990
Chaves A, Weyrauch LA, Zheng D, Biagioni EM, Krassovskaia PM, Davidson BL, Broskey NT, Boyle KE, May LE, Houmard JA. Influence of Maternal Exercise on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Offspring Stem Cells: ENHANCED by Mom. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Jul 14;107(8):e3353-e3365. PubMed PMID: 35511592
Francis EC, Dabelea D, Boyle KE, Jansson T, Perng W. Maternal Diet Quality Is Associated with Placental Proteins in the Placental Insulin/Growth Factor, Environmental Stress, Inflammation, and mTOR Signaling Pathways: The Healthy Start ECHO Cohort. J Nutr. 2022 Mar 3;152(3):816-825. PubMed PMID: 34850052
Keleher MR, Erickson K, Smith HA, Kechris KJ, Yang IV, Dabelea D, Friedman JE, Boyle KE, Jansson T. Placental Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling, PGC1a, and Inflammatory Pathways are Associated With Metabolic Outcomes at 4-6 years of Age: The ECHO Healthy Start Cohort. Diabetes. 2021 Jan 7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 33414248
Francis EC, Dabelea D, Boyle KE, Jansson T, Perng W. Maternal diet quality is associated with placental proteins in the placental insulin/ growth factor, environmental stress, inflammation, and mTOR signaling pathways: The Healthy Start ECHO Cohort. J Nutr. 2021 Nov 26. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34850052
Flanagan EW, Most J, Altazan AD, Boyle KE, Redman LM. A role for the early pregnancy maternal milieu in the intergenerational transmission of obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2021 Nov;29(11):1780-1786. PubMed PMID: 34734494
Erickson ML, Patinkin ZW, Duensing AM, Dabelea D, Redman LM, Boyle KE. Maternal metabolic health drives mesenchymal stem cell metabolism and infant fat mass at birth. JCI Insight. 2021 Jul 8;6(13). PubMed PMID: 34061777
Keleher MR, Erickson K, Smith HA, Kechris KJ, Yang IV, Dabelea D, Friedman JE, Boyle KE, Jansson T. Placental Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling, PGC-1a, and Inflammatory Pathways Are Associated With Metabolic Outcomes at 4-6 Years of Age: The ECHO Healthy Start Cohort. Diabetes. 2021 Mar;70(3):745-751. PubMed PMID: 33414248
Flanagan EW, Most J, Altazan AD, Boyle KE, Redman LM. A role for the early pregnancy maternal milieu in the intergenerational transmission of obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2021 Nov;29(11):1780-1786. PubMed PMID: 34734494
Erickson ML, Patinkin ZW, Duensing AM, Dabelea D, Redman LM, Boyle KE. Maternal metabolic health drives mesenchymal stem cell metabolism and infant fat mass at birth. JCI Insight. 2021 Jul 8;6(13). PubMed PMID: 34061777
Keleher MR, Erickson K, Smith HA, Kechris KJ, Yang IV, Dabelea D, Friedman JE, Boyle KE, Jansson T. Placental Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling, PGC-1a, and Inflammatory Pathways Are Associated With Metabolic Outcomes at 4-6 Years of Age: The ECHO Healthy Start Cohort. Diabetes. 2021 Mar;70(3):745-751. PubMed PMID: 33414248
Boyle KE, Magill-Collins MJ, Newsom SA, Janssen RC, Friedman JE. Maternal Fat-1 Transgene Protects Offspring from Excess Weight Gain, Oxidative Stress, and Reduced Fatty Acid Oxidation in Response to High-Fat Diet. Nutrients. 2020 Mar 14;12(3). PubMed PMID: 32183350
Keleher MR, Erickson K, Kechris K, Yang IV, Dabelea D, Friedman JE, Boyle KE, Jansson T. Associations between the activity of placental nutrient-sensing pathways and neonatal and postnatal metabolic health: the ECHO Healthy Start cohort. Int J Obes (Lond). 2020 Nov;44(11):2203-2212. PubMed PMID: 32327723
Starling AP, Liu C, Shen G, Yang IV, Kechris K, Borengasser SJ, Boyle KE, Zhang W, Smith HA, Calafat AM, Hamman RF, Adgate JL, Dabelea D. Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, Umbilical Cord Blood DNA Methylation, and Cardio-Metabolic Indicators in Newborns: The Healthy Start Study. Environ Health Perspect. 2020 Dec;128(12):127014. PubMed PMID: 33356526
Bruce KD, Gorkhali S, Given K, Coates AM, Boyle KE, Macklin WB, Eckel RH. Lipoprotein Lipase Is a Feature of Alternatively-Activated Microglia and May Facilitate Lipid Uptake in the CNS During Demyelination. Front Mol Neurosci. 2018;11:57. PubMed PMID: 29599706
Reusch JEB, Kumar TR, Regensteiner JG, Zeitler PS. Identifying the Critical Gaps in Research on Sex Differences in Metabolism Across the Life Span. Endocrinology. 2018 Jan 1;159(1):9-19. PubMed PMID: 29300998
Boyle KE, Patinkin ZW, Shapiro ALB, Bader C, Vanderlinden L, Kechris K, Janssen RC, Ford RJ, Smith BK, Steinberg GR, Davidson EJ, Yang IV, Dabelea D, Friedman JE. Maternal obesity alters fatty acid oxidation, AMPK activity, and associated DNA methylation in mesenchymal stem cells from human infants. Mol Metab. 2017 Nov;6(11):1503-1516. PubMed PMID: 29107296
Baker PR 2nd, Patinkin Z, Shapiro AL, De La Houssaye BA, Woontner M, Boyle KE, Vanderlinden L, Dabelea D, Friedman JE. Maternal obesity and increased neonatal adiposity correspond with altered infant mesenchymal stem cell metabolism. JCI Insight. 2017 Nov 2;2(21). [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29093265
Cavalli G, Justice JN, Boyle KE, D'Alessandro A, Eisenmesser EZ, Herrera JJ, Hansen KC, Nemkov T, Stienstra R, Garlanda C, Mantovani A, Seals DR, Dagna L, Joosten LA, Ballak DB, Dinarello CA. Interleukin 37 reverses the metabolic cost of inflammation, increases oxidative respiration, and improves exercise tolerance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Feb 28;114(9):2313-2318. PubMed PMID: 28193888
Boyle KE, Friedman JE, Janssen RC, Underkofler C, Houmard JA, Rasouli N. Metabolic Inflexibility with Obesity and the Effects of Fenofibrate on Skeletal Muscle Fatty Acid Oxidation. Horm Metab Res. 2017 Jan;49(1):50-57. PubMed PMID: 28103623
Boyle KE, Friedman JE, Janssen RC, Underkofler C, Houmard JA, Rasouli N. Metabolic Inflexibility with Obesity and the Effects of Fenofibrate on Skeletal Muscle Fatty Acid Oxidation. Horm Metab Res. 2016 Aug 2. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27485593
Shapiro AL, Boyle KE, Dabelea D, Patinkin ZW, De la Houssaye B, Ringham BM, Glueck DH, Barbour LA, Norris JM, Friedman JE. Nicotinamide Promotes Adipogenesis in Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Is Associated with Neonatal Adiposity: The Healthy Start BabyBUMP Project. PLoS One. 2016 Jul 14;11(7):e0159575. PubMed PMID: 27414406
Shapiro AL, Boyle KE, Dabelea D, Patinkin ZW, De la Houssaye B, Ringham BM, Glueck DH, Barbour LA, Norris JM, Friedman JE. Nicotinamide Promotes Adipogenesis in Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Is Associated with Neonatal Adiposity: The Healthy Start BabyBUMP Project. PLoS One. 2016;11(7):e0159575. PubMed PMID: 27414406
Boyle KE, Patinkin ZW, Shapiro AL, Baker PR 2nd, Dabelea D, Friedman JE. Mesenchymal Stem Cells From Infants Born to Obese Mothers Exhibit Greater Potential for Adipogenesis: The Healthy Start BabyBUMP Project. Diabetes. 2016 Mar;65(3):647-59. PubMed PMID: 26631736
Schlaepfer IR, Glodé LM, Hitz CA, Pac CT, Boyle KE, Maroni P, Deep G, Agarwal R, Lucia SM, Cramer SD, Serkova NJ, Eckel RH. Inhibition of Lipid Oxidation Increases Glucose Metabolism and Enhances 2-Deoxy-2-[(18)F]Fluoro-D-Glucose Uptake in Prostate Cancer Mouse Xenografts. Mol Imaging Biol. 2015 Jan 6. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 25561013
Boyle KE, Patinkin ZW, Shapiro AL, Baker PR 2nd, Dabelea D, Friedman JE. Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Infants Born to Obese Mothers Exhibit Greater Potential for Adipogenesis: The Healthy Start BabyBUMP Project. Diabetes. 2015 Dec 2. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26631736
Schlaepfer IR, Glodé LM, Hitz CA, Pac CT, Boyle KE, Maroni P, Deep G, Agarwal R, Lucia SM, Cramer SD, Serkova NJ, Eckel RH. Inhibition of Lipid Oxidation Increases Glucose Metabolism and Enhances 2-Deoxy-2-[(18)F]Fluoro-D-Glucose Uptake in Prostate Cancer Mouse Xenografts. Mol Imaging Biol. 2015 Aug;17(4):529-38. PubMed PMID: 25561013
Boyle KE, Hwang H, Janssen RC, DeVente JM, Barbour LA, Hernandez TL, Mandarino LJ, Lappas M, Friedman JE. Gestational diabetes is characterized by reduced mitochondrial protein expression and altered calcium signaling proteins in skeletal muscle. PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e106872. PubMed PMID: 25216282
Boyle KE, Hwang H, Janssen RC, DeVente JM, Barbour LA, Hernandez TL, Mandarino LJ, Lappas M, Friedman JE. Gestational diabetes is characterized by reduced mitochondrial protein expression and altered calcium signaling proteins in skeletal muscle. PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e106872. PubMed PMID: 25216282
Newsom SA, Boyle KE, Friedman JE. Sirtuin 3: A major control point for obesity-related metabolic diseases?. Drug Discov Today Dis Mech. 2013 Jun 1;10(1-2):e35-e40. PubMed PMID: 23997790