James McKendry
Assistant Professor, Nutrition and Healthy Aging
Investigator, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging
604-827-2811
244 - 2205 East Mall (FNH)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Ph.D. Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
M.Res. Sport and Exercise Science – Nutrition and Metabolism, University of Birmingham, UK
B.Sc. (Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Dr. McKendry joined UBC as an Assistant Professor in Nutrition and Healthy Aging in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (Human Nutrition Group) on 1st July 2024.
Dr. McKendry leads “The Muscle Aging (In)activity, and Nutrition Laboratory (The MAIN Lab),” and is an investigator with the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging.
The overarching aim of Dr. McKendry’s research program is to uncover mechanisms and identify modifiers (e.g., nutrition, loading, aging, and biological sex) driving skeletal muscle adaptation using innovative in vivo and in vitro approaches (e.g., muscle biopsies, stable isotopes, tissue culture, and multi-omics) and translate these insights into evidence-based strategies that enhance muscle health, improve physical function, and extend health span across diverse populations.
Supervision: Dr. McKendry is always eager to supervise undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers interested in skeletal muscle, exercise, nutrition, and aging.
Candidates interested in working with Dr. McKendry should complete the form on Dr. McKendry’s Lab Website, providing details about your background, current situation (e.g., degree program), interests, the role you are interested in filling, why you chose the MAIN lab and why you believe you would be a good fit. Please also attach your CV/Resume and unofficial transcript for review.
FNH 497 - Directed Studies
FNH 474 – Sport Nutrition
Please contact me via email if you are interested in pursuing a directed studies course under my supervision.
Primary Papers
McKendry, J., Lowisz, C.V., Nanthakumar, A., MacDonald, M., Lim, C., Currier, B.S. and Phillips, S.M., The effects of whey, pea, and collagen protein supplementation beyond the recommended dietary allowance on integrated myofibrillar protein synthetic rates in older males: a randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, pp.S0002-9165.
McKendry, J., Shad, B.J., Smeuninx, B., Oikawa, S.Y., Wallis, G., Greig, C., Phillips, S.M. and Breen, L., 2019. Comparable Rates of Integrated Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Between Endurance-Trained Master Athletes and Untrained Older Individuals. Frontiers in physiology, 10, p.1084.
McKendry, J., Joanisse, S., Baig, S., Liu, B., Parise, G., Greig, C.A. and Breen, L., 2020. Superior Aerobic Capacity and Indices of Skeletal Muscle Morphology in Chronically Trained Master Endurance Athletes Compared With Untrained Older Adults. The Journal of Gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 75(6), pp.1079-1088.
Review papers
McKendry, J., Stokes, T., Mcleod, J.C. and Phillips, S.M., 2021. Resistance Exercise, Aging, Disuse, and Muscle Protein Metabolism. Comprehensive Physiology, 11(3), pp.2249-2278.
McKendry, J., Currier, B.S., Lim, C., Mcleod, J.C., Thomas, A.C. and Phillips, S.M., 2020. Nutritional Supplements to Support Resistance Exercise in Countering the Sarcopenia of Aging. Nutrients, 12(7), p.2057.
Mckendry, J., Breen, L., Shad, B.J. and Greig, C.A., 2018. Muscle morphology and performance in master athletes: A systematic review and meta-analyses. Ageing research reviews, 45, pp.62-82.
See Google Scholar for a complete list of publications - https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=M_MZ0GkAAAAJ&hl=en
Emerging Leaders in Science Award, The American Society for Nutrition, 2024
American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology Best Review Paper Award, 2024
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2021-2023
McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Fellows in Teaching and Leadership Program, 2020-2021
European College of Sports Science, Young Investigator Award, 2018
Tagged with: Food Nutrition and Health