Vince Caiozzo, Ph.D.
Professor
Departments of Orthopaedics and Physiology & Biophysics
College of Health Sciences
University of California
Irvine, CA 92697
Phone: 949-824-5571
Email: vjcaiozz@uci.edu
Dr. Caiozzo obtained his doctorate degree from the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology at the University of California, Irvine, California. Dr. Caiozzo primary research theme is focused on understanding how altered states of mechanical loading influence the radial and longitudinal growth of skeletal muscle, and how this influences muscle function. For instance, Drs. Caiozzo and Baldwin developed a unique rodent resistance-training model (Ref.) that can be used to simulate all of the variables used by humans during resistance training. Additionally, Drs. Caiozzo and Stuart Green developed a rodent animal model for studying the role of chronic stretch on the longitudinal growth of skeletal muscle (Ref.). Dr. Caiozzo has also studied the effects of mechanical unloading using the so-called hindlimb suspension model and was fortunate to be involved in two of Dr. Baldwin’s Space Shuttle missions (PARE-02 and SLS2), where experimental animals were exposed to microgravity for 6 (Ref.) and 14 days (Ref.), respectively.
The Space Cycle project represents a continuation of Dr. Caiozzo’s research theme by exploring the effects of artificial gravity as a unique loading modality for maintaining muscle mass while in a microgravity environment. It is well known that long-term exposure to microgravity produces profound deleterious changes in a number physiological systems, including skeletal muscle (Ref.), bone, and the cardiovascular system. The Space Cycle provides a unique platform by which artificial gravity can be produced and used to challenge each of these physiological systems in an attempt to maintain a normal physiological state (Ref.).
Dr. Caiozzo’s research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Space Biology Research Institute. Dr. Caiozzo also serves as the core director of the Applied Physiology-Human Performance Laboratory of the U.C. Irvine General Clinical Research Center (GCRC). The U.C. Irvine GCRC is funded by the National Institutes of Health, and this center plays an important role in providing key support for the Space Cycle project.