Dr. Thomas Lowder

Assistant Professor

Office Number: 104W GAR
Phone: 713-743-4187
Fax: 713-743-9860

Email: twlowder@uh.edu

Mailing Address:
3855 Holman St., Rm 104 Garrison
Houston, TX 77204-6015

Website:Facebook page for my lab

Research Interests

My work examines how exercise and stress affect the immune system in young and aged subjects. My current research examines the role of regulatory T cells and how exercise can alter the functional ability of these cells. I have a passion for strength and resistance training and how the musculoskeletal system can be maintained and enhanced throughout the lifespan. Academically I have an absolute love for animal and environmental physiology, and how different individuals and species adapt to wildly varying climates and conditions.

Recent Publications and Research Activity

Carpenter, K, Strohacker, K, Breslin, W, Lowder, T, McFarlin, B. 2011 Voluntary wheel running results in more weight loss and differential changes in monocytes in previously obese mice. J. Amer. Assoc. for Lab. Animal Sci.

Zhang, L, Layne, C, Lowder, T. 2011. A review focused on the psychological effectiveness of Tai Chi on different populations. Evid.-Based Comp. and Alt. Med. 2011.

Bigley, AB, Lowder, TW, Spielmann, G, Rector, JL, Pircher, H, Simpson, RJ. 2011. Latent cytomegalovirus infection is associated with altered NK-cell phenotype and blunted NK-cell mobilization in response to acute exercise. Brain Behavior and Immunity.

Palanisami, A, Fang, J, Lowder, TW, Kunz, H, and Miller, JH. 2010. Rapid sizing of isolated mitochondria using Brownian motion. Analytical Methods. In press.

Woods, JA, Keylock, KT, Lowder, T, Vieira, VJ, Zelkovich, W, Dumich, S, Colantuano, K, Lyons, K, Leifheit, K, Cook, M, Champan-Novakofski, K, McAuley, E. 2009. Cardiovascular exercise training extends influenza vaccine seroprotection in sedentary older adults: the immune function intervention trial. J Am Geriatr Soc. 57(12):2183-91.

Dugger K, Lowder TW, Tucker TA, Schwiebert LM. Epithelial cells as immune effector cells: the role of CD40. Semin Immunol. 2009. 21(5):289-92.

Lowder, T, Dugger, K, Deshane, J, Estell, K, Schwiebert, L. Repeated bouts of aerobic exercise enhance regulatory T cell responses in a murine asthma model. Brain Behav Immun. 2010. 24(1):153-159.

Grant, RW, Mariani, RA, Vieira, VJ, Fleshner, M, Smith, TP, Keylock, KT, Lowder, TW, McAuley, E, Hu, L, Chapman-Novakofski, K, Woods, JA. Cardiovascular exercise intervention improves the primary antibody response to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) in previously sedentary older adults. Brain Behav Immun. 22(6):923-932. 2008.

*Keylock, K, *Lowder, T Leifheit, K, Cook, M, Mariani, R, Ross, K, Kim, K, Chapman-Novakofski, K, McAuley, E, Woods, J. 2006. Higher antibody, but not cell-mediated responses to vaccination in high physically fit elderly. J Appl Phys. 102(3):1090-1098. *Denotes equal first-authorship

Lowder, TW, Padgett, DA, Woods, JA. 2006. Moderate exercise reduces the influenza virus-induced Th1 inflammatory response in lungs of mice. Exer Immunol Rev. 12:97-111.

Lowder, TW, Padgett, DA, Woods, JA. 2005. Moderate exercise protects mice from death due to influenza. Brain Behav Immun. 19(5):377-80.

Woods, JA, Ceddia, MA, Zack, MD, Lowder, TW, Lu, Q. 2003. Exercise training increases the naive to memory T cell ratio in old mice. Brain Behav Immun. 17(5):384-92.

Woods, JA, Lowder, TW, Keylock, KT. 2002. Can exercise training improve immune function in the aged? Ann N Y Acad Sci. 959:117-27.

Woods, J, Lu, Q, Ceddia, MA, Lowder, T. Special feature for the Olympics: effects of exercise on the immune system: exercise-induced modulation of macrophage function. Immunol Cell Biol. 2000. 78(5):545-53.

Education

Ph.D. in Kinesiology at The University of Illinois, 2006