Steven J. Swoap

Photo of Steven J. Swoap

Howard B. Schow '50 and Nan W. Schow Professor of Biology

413-597-3336
Thompson Biology Lab Rm 20
At Williams since 1996

Education

B.A. Trinity University (1990)
Ph.D. University of California, Irvine, Physiology and Biophysics (1994)

Areas of Expertise

Physiology

Courses

Scholarship/Creative Work

For all publications, see Steven Swoap’s PubMed database listing and his Google Scholar Profile.

Awards, Fellowships & Grants

  • National Science Foundation “Regulation of myosin heavy chain IIB expression: An integrative approach.” (July 1,1997 -June 30, 2000) $228,000
  • National Institute of Health “Txn control of the PGAM-M gene in unloaded slow muscle.” (September 15, 1999 – August 31, 2002) $96,000
  • National Science Foundation “CAREER: Mechanisms of caloric-restriction induced hypotension” (February 1, 2000 – January 31, 2005) $497,000
  • American Physiological Society – $15,000 (April 2001 – Arthur Guyton Integrative Physiology Award)
  • American College of Sports Medicine – May 2001 – New Investigator Award
  • American Physiological Society – Travel grant $4,000 (June 2003)
  • National Institutes of Health “TRH in mediating the bradycardia of caloric restriction” (July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2008) $200,786
  • National Institutes of Health “AREA: Rapamycin, Ambient Temperature, and Longevity,” (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2013) $325,304
  • National Institutes of Health “AREA: Hypothermia vs. Daily torpor: an integrative molecular / biochemical / physiological approach” $409,796 (June 2014-May 2017)

Professional Affiliations

  • University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center: Post-doctoral fellow

Current Committees

  • Standing Grievance Panel

Research Interests

The cardiovascular state of animals is remarkably dependent on the environment. Foraging of food, consumption of food, presence of predators, procuring a mate, ambient temperature, and general activity are just a few examples of external stimuli that have a substantial impact on homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. Research in the Swoap lab examines the underlying mechanisms for cardiovascular adaptations to both changes in ambient temperature and lack of food availability. Our approach is an integrative one; combining molecular biology, thermal physiology, and cardiovascular physiology. Body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate measurements are made in genetically modified animals using a telemetry-based system. This allows for accurate physiological measurements in animals that are conscious, unrestrained, and freely moving. The use of mice with known germline mutations allows us to directly test hypotheses that relate caloric intake, ambient temperature, and metabolism with cardiovascular function.

Students Advised

  • Rachel Kell ’97
  • Emily Snyder ’98
  • Matthew Wheeler ’98
  • John Haney ’99
  • Deborah Van Allen ’99
  • Patrick Burton ’00
  • Randall Lindquist ’00
  • David Seward ’00
  • Jason Pack ’02
  • Steven Rettke ’02
  • Natalie Stephens ’03
  • Lisa Hunt ’03
  • Brigitte Teissedre ’03
  • Liz Gluck ’05
  • Ross Smith ’05
  • Candice Li ’05
  • Gillian Sowden ’06
  • Auyon Mukharji ’07
  • Jared Mayers ’07
  • Emily Seigel ’08
  • Sarah Nowakowski ’08
  • Mack Brickley ’08
  • Lisa Chu ’10
  • Ben Iliff ’10
  • Elizabeth McClure ’10
  • Eric Tillman ’10
  • Beryl Manning-Geist ’11
  • Ken Sluis ’11
  • Karyn Moss ’12
  • Bonnie Patchen ’12
  • Rachel Zipursky ’12
  • Becca Maher ’13
  • Uttara Partap ’13
  • Christine Schindler ’13
  • Shayna Barbash ’14
  • Pat Joslin ‘14
  • Becca Bell ‘15
  • Ethan Borre ‘15
  • Dianna Mejia ‘15
  • Maria Vicent ’17
  • Sarah Becker ’18
  • Heidi Halvorsen ’18
  • Cordelia Chan ’19
  • Maia Hare ’19
  • Annabelle Feist ’20
  • Chloe Henderson ’20
  • Eily Mixson ’20