RESEARCH GROUP
This research group is headed by Dr. Nicholas Frank, an associate professor of large animal internal medicine. Dr. Frank first developed an interest in endocrine disorders of horses when he was in private practice in Illinois. His PhD work at Purdue University then focused on hypothyroidism in horses. Dr. Frank’s research group at the University of Tennessee investigates endocrine and metabolic disorders that relate to laminitis in horses.
Sarah Elliott is a senior research technician within the group and also a Masters of Science student studying the effects of obesity and insulin resistance on tissue gene expression in horses.
Dr. Ferenc Tóth joined the group in 2006. He is both a veterinarian and Ph.D. graduate student, and will soon be entering the Large Animal Surgery residency program at the University of Tennessee.
Kelly Chameroy is the newest member of the research group. She holds Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science degrees from the University of Connecticut and will be pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the area of insulin resistance treatment and prevention in horses.
General Information about Our Research
Endocrine research is the study of hormones. Our research focuses upon hormonal disorders of animals. Hormones that we study include cortisol (this hormone is secreted when animals are stressed), thyroid hormones (these hormones regulate metabolic rate i.e. how fast you burn up carbohydrates and fats), and insulin (the hormone responsible for moving glucose from the blood into tissues such as muscle).
Metabolism research is the study of how the body keeps going i.e. how the body takes nutrients from food and turns them into energy. In our research we focus upon how animals use glucose (a sugar) and fats. We are particularly interested in obesity (being very overweight) and how it affects an animal’s health. So much is known about the health risks of obesity in humans, but little information is available about the same condition in animals. We would particularly like to better understand how obese animals use glucose and fats.
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Contact: Dr. Frank, Associate Professor
College of Veterinary Medicine
The University of Tennessee
2407 River Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996
Email: