Michelle Mottola
Affiliations
Associate Scientist, Division of Maternal, Fetal & Newborn Health, Children’s Health Research Institute
Director, R. Samuel McLaughlin Foundation – Exercise and Pregnancy Laboratory, Western University
Associate Professor, Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kinesiology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University
How my research helps children
I have conducted research on the effects of maternal exercise on both the mother and the developing fetus for the past 20 years. My research has shown a mother’s nutrition and activity levels have a large impact on the prevention of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and may be able to prevent the development of obesity in the growing baby.
Research
Current Research
The Exercise and Pregnancy laboratory is the only research lab in North America that focuses on pregnant and post-partum women who want to exercise. The main focus of the lab is nutrition and activity levels of mothers and the effects they have on the health of the mother and her expectant child.
Research Team
Dr. Margie Davenport has just completed her PhD in May of 2010 and has moved on to a postdoctoral position with Dr. Marc Poulin at the University of Calgary with a Heart and Stroke Foundation Fellowship for 2 years. In addition, Dr. Stephanie-May Ruchat is beginning a Postdoctoral Fellowship in my lab funded by the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Future Research Plans
Future research plans are to continue investigating the effects of our Nutrition and Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program for overweight and obese pregnant and postpartum women and also women diagnosed with gestational diabetes. We are also interested in why the program is successful by examining mechanisms involved in the circulation and at the skeletal muscle level.
Awards & Grants
Awards & Grants
Nominated for Women of Distinction Award – YMCA-YWCA London
Excellence Award in Teaching – Awarded by The University of Western Ontario
Funding in support of “Preventing childhood obesity: early intervention during pregnancy and first year postpartum for overweight and obese women using a two-pronged family-based approach” – Awarded by Canadian Institute of Health Research and Rx&D Health Research Foundation
Funding in support of “The effects of acute exercise on tobacco cravings and withdrawal symptoms in pregnant women” – Awarded by Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative
Funding in support of “A Nutrition & Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program (NELIP) for women with gestational diabetes” – Awarded by The Lawson Foundation
Funding in support of “Capacity building and participatory research development of a community-based Nutrition & Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program (NELIP) for pregnant and postpartum Aboriginal women” – Awarded by Canadian Institute of Health Research
Funding in support of “Bone metabolism in activity-restricted high-risk hospitalized pregnant women” – Awarded by The University of Western Ontario
Recent Publications
Publications
Postpartum exercise regardless of intensity improves chronic disease risk factors. Davenport MH, Giroux I, Sopper MM, Mottola MF. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(6):951-958.
Increased incidence of gestational diabetes not explained by pre-pregnancy obesity in London, Canada. Davenport MH, Campbell MK, Mottola MF. BMC: Pregnancy Child Birth. 2010 Dec 24;10(1):85. [Epub ahead of print]
Nutrition and exercise prevent excess weight gain in overweight pregnant women Mottola MF, Giroux I, Gratton R, Hammond JA, Hanley A, Harris S, McManus R, Davenport MH, Sopper MM Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Feb;42(2):265-72
Weight history of overweight pregnant women Giroux I, Lander S, Charlesworth S, Mottola MF Can J Diet Pract Res. 2009 Autumn;70(3):127-34
Impact of pregnancy and obesity on cardiorespiratory responses during weight-bearing exercise Davenport MH, Steinback CD, Mottola MF. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2009 Jul 31;167(3):341-7.
Exercise prescription for overweight and obese women: pregnancy and postpartum Mottola MF Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2009 Jun;36(2):301-16
Development and validation of exercise target heart rate zones for overweight and obese pregnant women Davenport MH, Charlesworth S, Vanderspank D, Sopper MM, Mottola MF Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008 Oct;33(5):984-9
The role of exercise in the prevention and treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus Mottola MF Curr Diab Rep. 2008 Aug;8(4):299-304
A walking intervention improves capillary glucose control in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a pilot study Davenport MH, Mottola MF, McManus R, Gratton R. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008 Jun;33(3):511-7.
Dietary intake, capillary blood glucose, and activity level of activity-restricted, hospitalized, pregnant women in the third trimester: a pilot study. Tomkins CC, Mottola MF, Giroux I. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2007 Dec;32(6):1105-14
The role of exercise in the prevention and treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus Mottola MF. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2007 Dec;6(6):381-6.
Cellular accumulation of heat shock protein (Hsp) 72i in fetuses of trained rats Mottola MF, Vanderspank D, Schachter CL, VanHeest J, Tanguay RM Cell Stress Chaperones. 2007 Summer;12(2):101-5
Contact
Phone: 519-661-2111 x 85480
Fax: 519-661-2008
Email: mmottola [at] uwo [dot] ca
Website: http://www.uwo.ca/fhs/EPL
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