BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
NAME
POSITION TITLE
Teresa A. Davis
eRA COMMONS USER NAME (credential, e.g., agency login)
Professor of Pediatrics
tdavis@bcm.tmc.edu
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, and include postdoctoral training and
residency training if applicable.)
DEGREE
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION
MM/YR
FIELD OF STUDY
(if applicable)
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Washington Univ., School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
B.S.
M.S.
Ph.D.
Postdoc Fellow
06/1975
08/1976
08/1980
06/1983
Nutrition Science
Nutrition Science
Nutrition Science
Protein Metabolism
A. Research Focus
Her research expertise is in the nutritional and hormonal regulation of metabolism in neonates. She has
extensive experience in protein metabolism, amino acid and insulin signaling to protein synthesis, and isotopic
approaches to study the metabolic effects of nutrients, hormones, and development. Using the
pancreatic-substrate clamp, which we developed to allow independent control of plasma amino acids,
glucose, and insulin, we demonstrated that the postprandial stimulation of skeletal muscle protein synthesis is
independently mediated by the rise in amino acids, insulin, and glucose, and we have identified specific
nutrient and insulin signaling proteins that regulate translation initiation in the neonate. Current studies are
also examining the impact of different feeding modalities on protein synthesis and deposition and the anabolic
effects of parenteral and enteral leucine in the neonate.
B. Positions and Honors
Positions and Employment
1983 – 1986
Research Associate, Research Instructor, Dept. Med., Washington Univ. Sch. Med., St.
Louis, MO
1986
Research Assistant Professor, Dept. Med., Washington Univ. Sch. Med., St. Louis, MO
1986 – 1997
Research Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, Children's Nutrition Research Center
(CNRC), Dept. Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
1997 – 2006
Associate Professor, CNRC, Dept. Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
2006 – present Professor, CNRC, Dept. Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
2006 – present Adjunct Professor, Intercollegiate Faculty of Nutrition, Texas A&M, College Station, TX
2010 – present Adjunct Professor, University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston,
TX
Other Experience and Professional Memberships
1997 – 2003
Editorial Board, Journal of Nutrition, American Society for Nutrition (ASN)
1998 – 2001
Chairman, Energy and Macronutrient Metabolism Research Interest Section, ASN
2001 – 2003
Director, Research Interest Sections, ASN
2003 – 2006
Elected, Councilor, ASN
2005 – 2014
Associate Editor, Journal of Nutrition
2006 – 2009
Elected, Secretary, American Society for Nutrition
2008 – present Chair, Institutional Care and Use Committee, Baylor College of Medicine
2010 – 2011
Elected, Vice President-Elect, ASN
2011 – 2012
Elected, Vice President, ASN
Honors
1997 Centennial Leader Award, University of Tennessee,
1998 E.L.R. Stokstad Award, Awarded for Outstanding Fundamental Research in Nutrition, ASN
2001
2007
2010
Fulbright US Distinguished American Scholar, Fulbright New Zealand-US Educational Foundation
Animal Growth and Development Award, American Society of Animal Science
Research Mentor Award, Department of Pediatrics, BCM
C. Selected Peer-reviewed Publications (Selected from 120 peer-reviewed publications).
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Orellana RA, Jeyapalan A, Escobar J, Frank JW, Nguyen HV, Suryawan A, and Davis TA. Amino acids
augment muscle protein synthesis in neonatal pigs during acute endotoxemia by stimulating mTORdependent translation initiation. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 293(5): E1416-1425, 2007, (PMID:
17848637).
Suryawan A, Orellana RA, Nguyen HV, Jeyapalan AS, Fleming JR, and Davis TA. Activation by insulin
and amino acids of signaling components leading to translation initiation in skeletal muscle of neonatal
pigs is developmentally regulated. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 293(6): E1597-E1605, 2007, (PMID:
17878222).
Escobar J, Frank JW, Suryawan A, Nguyen HV, and Davis TA. Amino acid availability and age affect the
leucine stimulation of protein synthesis and eIF4F formation in muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab
293(6): E1615-1621, 2007, (PMID: 17878223).
Wilson FA, Orellana RA, Suryawan A, Nguyen HV, Jeyapalan AS, Frank JW, and Davis TA. Stimulation
of muscle protein synthesis by somatotropin in pigs is independent of the somatotropin–induced
increase in circulating insulin. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 295(1): E187-E194, 2008, (PMID:
18460595).
Suryawan A, Jeyapalan AS, Orellana RA, Wilson FA, Nguyen HV, and Davis TA. Leucine stimulates
protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs by enhancing mTORC1 activation. Am J Physiol
Endocrinol Metab 295(4): E868-75, 2008, (PMID: 18682538).
Wilson FA, Suryawan A, Orellana RA, Nguyen HV, Jeyapalan AS, Gazzaneo MC, and Davis TA. Fed
levels of amino acids are required for the somatotropin-induced increase in muscle protein synthesis.
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 295(4): E876-83, 2008, (PMID: 18682537).
Thivierge MC, Bush JA, Suryawan A, Nguyen HV, Orellana RA, Burrin DG, Jahoor F, and Davis TA.
Positive net movements of amino acids in the hindlimb after overnight food deprivation contribute to
sustaining the elevated anabolism of neonatal pigs. J Appl Physiol 105(6):1959-66, 2008, (PMID:
18801965).
Davis TA and Fiorotto, ML. Regulation of muscle growth in neonates. Curr Opin in Clin Nutr Metab Care
12(1): 78-85, 2009, (PMID: 19057192).
Wilson FA, Suryawan A, Orellana RA, Kimball SR, Gazzaneo MC, Nguyen HV, Fiorotto ML, and Davis.
TA. Feeding rapidly stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of the neonatal pig by enhancing
translation initiation. J Nutr 139(10): 1873-1880, 2009, (PMID: 19692527).
Escobar J, Frank JW, Suryawan A, Nguyen HV, Van Horn CG, Hutson SM, and Davis TA. Leucine and
α-ketoisocaproic acid, but not norleucine, stimulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis in neonatal pigs.
J Nutr 140(8):1418-1424, 2010, (PMID: 20534881).
Suryawan A and Davis TA. Abundance and activation of mTORC1 regulators in skeletal muscle of
neonatal pigs are modulated by insulin, amino acids, and age. J Applied Physiol 109(5):1448-542010,
2010, (PMID: 20724570).
Murgas Torrazza R, Suryawan A, Gazzaneo MC, Orellana RA, Frank JW, Nguyen HV, Fiorotto ML,
El-Kadi S, and Davis TA. Leucine supplementation of a low protein meal increases skeletal muscle and
visceral tissue protein synthesis in neonatal pigs by stimulating mTOR-dependent translation initiation.
J Nutr 140(12):2145-52, 2010, (PMID: 20962152).
Wilson FA, Suryawan A, Gazzaneo MC, Orellana RA, Nguyen HV, and Davis TA. Stimulation of muscle
protein synthesis by prolonged parenteral infusion of leucine is dependent on amino acid availability in
neonatal pigs. J Nutr 140(2): 264-270, 2010, (PMID: 20032489).
Wilson FA, Suryawan A, Orellana RA, Gazzaneo MC, Nguyen HV, and Davis TA. Differential effects of
long-term leucine infusion on tissue protein synthesis in neonatal pigs. Amino Acids 40:157-165, 2011,
(PMID: 20505962).
Gazzaneo MC, Orellana RA, Suryawan A, Kimball SR, Wilson FA, Nguyen HV, Torrazza RM, Fiorotto
ML, and Davis TA. Differential regulation of protein synthesis and mTOR signaling in skeletal muscle
and visceral tissues of neonatal pigs after a meal. Pediatr Res 70(3):253-60, 2011, (PMID: 21654549).