Sue Bodine, PhD

Sue Bodine is a Professor whose career in medical research has centered on neuromuscular physiology, with particular attention to skeletal muscle, muscle atrophy, hypertrophy, and exercise. Her path into the field took shape during her undergraduate years in the kinesiology department at UCLA, where hands-on research experience and participation in the university's Departmental Scholars program allowed her to pursue a master's degree alongside her bachelor's. She completed her doctoral studies at UCLA in 1985, laying the foundation for a research career that has now spanned more than four decades. Across her career, Bodine has held professorships at institutions including the University of California, San Diego, University of California, Davis, the University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine, and, most recently, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, where she currently serves. Her research contributions include participation in a major NIH Common Fund consortium focused on the molecular transducers of physical activity. In recognition of her scholarship, she has received honors such as the Environmental and Exercise Physiology Section's Honor Award and the Edward F. Adolph Distinguished Lectureship, both from the American Physiological Society. She assumed the presidency of that same organization in April 2025, having served as President-elect since 2024. Beyond her scientific contributions, Bodine is committed to mentorship and advancing opportunities for women in her field. She encourages young women entering skeletal muscle research and related disciplines to pursue their passions while seeking out advocates and building supportive professional networks, recognizing the added challenges women often face in male-dominated areas of science. She credits persistence, a strong work ethic, ethical integrity, and a collaborative spirit as the qualities that have sustained her throughout her career, alongside an enduring passion for science and team-based discovery.