Bettina Mittendorfer, PhD

Bettina Mittendorfer, PhD

Nutrition and Exercise Physiology

Senior Associate Dean for Research
Director, NextGen Precision Health Clinical and Translational Science Unit

573-884-2369

Profile

Overnutrition and an inactive lifestyle contribute to many of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and sarcopenia. Dr. Mittendorfer’s research aims to understand the physiological mechanisms involved in driving cardiometabolic diseases and how they can be prevented or reversed by specific lifestyle interventions.

Academic Information

Senior Associate Dean for Research
Director, NextGen Precision Health Clinical and Translational Science Unit

Office

1 Hospital Drive
MA204C, Medical Sciences Addition
Columbia, MO 65212
United States

P. 573-884-2369

Research Interests

  • Cardiometabolic disease
  • Age-related sarcopenia

Areas of Expertise

  • Clinical and translational research
  • Metabolic kinetics

Education & Training

Degrees

1999 PhD, Nutritional Biochemistry & Metabolism - University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX
1999 MS, Human Nutrition - University of Vienna, Austria

Awards & Honors

  • 2023 Chair, Scientific Review Committee, NIH U01 grants in response to RFA-DK-21-031, Mass Spectrometric Assays for the Reliable and Reproducible Detection of Proteins/Peptides of Importance in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Research
  • 2022 Pres Chair, Data and Safety Monitoring Board, Nutrition for Precision Health powered by the All of Us Research Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
  • 2021 Pres Associate Editor, Physiological Reviews
  • 2021 Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Awardee and Graduation Speaker, University of Texas Medical Branch, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
  • 2016 Pres Associate Editor, Obesity
  • 2014 Pres Associate Editor, Journal of Physiology
  • 2010 - 2023 Section Editor (Carbohydrate Metabolism), Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
  • 2006 Young Investigator Award, European Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
  • 2006 Endocrinology & Metabolism Section New Investigator Award, American Physiological Society
  • 2005 Nutrition Physical Activity and Metabolism New Investigator Award, American Heart Association
  • 2004 Peter J. Reeds Nutrition Research Award, American Society for Nutritional Sciences
  • 2003 Stanley J. Dudrick Research Scholar Award, American Society for Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition
  • 1999 Harry M. Vars Research Award, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
  • 1998 Student Research Award, Nutricia Research Foundation, The Netherlands
  • 1997 1st Place, Graduate Student Competitive Oral Presentation, Soc for Experimental Biology and Medicine
  • 1996 Graduate Student Research Award, American Institute of Nutrition
  • 1995 Clinical Research Award, American Burn Association
  • 1997 Clinical Research Fellowship, Austrian Society for Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition Section
  • 1997 Don W. Micks Scholarship in Preventive Medicine and Community Health, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX

In the News

protein foods
Bettina Mittendorfer, PhD

Publications

Original Research

  • LH Huang, P Deepak, MA Ciorba MA, B Mittendorfer, BW Patterson, GJ Randolph. Postprandial chylomicron output and transport through intestinal lymphatics are not impaired in active Crohn's disease. Gastroenterology. S0016-5085(20)34936-2, 2020. PMID: 32681923.
  • GI Smith, DC Polidori, M Yoshino, ML Kearney, BW Patterson, B Mittendorfer, S Klein. Influence of adiposity, insulin resistance, and intrahepatic triglyceride content on insulin kinetics. J Clin Invest. 130(6):3305-3314, 2020. PMCID: PMC7260030.
  • X Zhang, I Sergin, TD Evans, SJ Jeong, A Rodriguez-Velez, D Kapoor, S Chen, E Song, KB Holloway, JR Crowley, S Epelman, CC Weihl, A Diwan, D Fan, B Mittendorfer, NO Stitziel, JD Schilling, IJ Lodhi, B Razani. High-protein diets increase cardiovascular risk by activating macrophage mTOR to suppress mitophagy. Nat Metab. 2(1):110-125, 2020. PMCID: PMC7053091.
  • AJ Bittel, DC Bittel, B Mittendorfer, BW Patterson, AL Okunade, J Yoshino, LC Porter, NA Abumrad, DN Reeds, WT Cade. A single bout of resistance exercise improves postprandial lipid metabolism in overweight/obese men with prediabetes. Diabetologia. 63(3):611-623, 2020. PMCID: PMC7002271.
  • S van Vliet, HE Koh, BW Patterson, M Yoshino, R Laforest, RJ Gropler, S Klein, B Mittendorfer. Obesity is associated with increased basal and postprandial β-Cell insulin secretion even in the absence of insulin resistance. Diabetes. 69:2112-2119, 2020.
  • S van Vliet, A Fappi, DN Reeds, B Mittendorfer. No independent or combined effects of vitamin D and conjugated linoleic acids on muscle protein synthesis in older adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 112:1382-1389, 2020.
  • AJ Bittel, DC Bittel, B Mittendorfer, BW Patterson, AL Okunade, NA Abumrad, DN Reeds, WT Cade. A single bout of premeal resistance exercise improves postprandial glucose metabolism in obese men with prediabetes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 53(4):694-703, 2021.
  • HE Koh, S van Vliet, GA Meyer, R Laforest, RJ Gropler, S Klein, B Mittendorfer. Heterogeneity in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake among different muscle groups in healthy lean people and people with obesity. Diabetologia. 64(5):1158-1168, 2021.
  • JW Beals, GI Smith, M Shankaran, A Fuchs, GG Schweitzer, J Yoshino, T Field, M Matthews, E Nyangau, D Morozov, B Mittendorfer, MK Hellerstein, S Klein. Increased adipose tissue fibrogenesis, not impaired expandability, is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatology. 74(3):1287-1299, 2021.
  • HE Koh, S van Vliet, T Pietka, GA Meyer, B Razani, R Laforest, RJ Gropler, Mittendorfer B. Subcutaneous adipose tissue metabolic function and insulin sensitivity in people with obesity. Diabetes. 70:2225-2236, 2021.
  • B Mittendorfer, BW Patterson, GI Smith GI, M Yoshino, S Klein. Beta-cell function and plasma insulin clearance in people with obesity and different glycemic status. J Clin Invest. 132(3):e154068, 2022.
  • HE Koh, S van Vliet, C Cao, BW Patterson, DN Reeds, R Laforest, RJ Gropler, YS Ju, B Mittendorfer. Effect of obstructive sleep apnea on glucose metabolism. Eur J Endocrinol. 186:457-467, 2022.
  • HE Koh, BW Patterson, DN Reeds, B Mittendorfer. Insulin sensitivity and kinetics in African American and White people with obesity: insights from different study protocols. Obesity. 30:655-665, 2022.
  • M Davies, A Dorenbaum, S Wang, B Mittendorfer. A Phase 1 Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Study of the Novel Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor δ Agonist REN001 in Healthy Volunteers during and After Limb Immobilization. J Clin Trials. 12:1000495, 2022.
  • C Cao, HE Koh, S van Vliet, BW Patterson, DN Reeds, R Laforest, RJ Gropler, B Mittendorfer. Increased plasma fatty acid clearance, not fatty acid concentration, is associated with muscle insulin resistance in people with obesity. Metabolism.132:155216, 2022.
  • Martinez-Arranz, C Bruzzone, M Noureddin M, B Mittendorfer, J Mato. Metabolic subtypes of patients with NAFLD exhibit distinctive cardiovascular risk profiles. Hepatology. 76:1121-1134, 2022.
  • WT Cade WT, B Mittendorfer (shared co-first author), BW Patterson, D Haire-Joshu D, AG Cahill, RI Stein, KB Schechtman, RA Tinius, K Brown, S Klein. Effect of excessive gestational weight gain on insulin sensitivity and insulin kinetics in women with overweight/obesity. Obesity. 30:2014-2022, 2022.
  • F Magkos, E Fabbrini, BW Patterson, B Mittendorfer, S Klein.. Physiological fluctuation in endogenous estradiol concentration does not influence adipose tissue and hepatic lipid kinetics in women. Eur J Endocrinol. 187:391-398, 2022.
  • X Zhang, J Stitham, A Rodriguez-Velez, SJ Jeong, A Park, YS Yeh, D Kapoor, B Mittendorfer; B Razani. Evaluation of mTORC1 signaling in mouse atherosclerotic macrophages by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. STAR Protoc. 3:101665, 2022.
  • M Yoshino, J Yoshino, GI Smith, RI Stein, AJ Bittel, DC Bittel, DN Reeds, DR Sinacore, WT Cade, BW Patterson, K Cho, GJ Patti, B Mittendorfer, S Klein. Worksite-based intensive lifestyle therapy has profound cardiometabolic benefits in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Cell Metab. S1550-4131(22)00355-2.
  • F Rahmani, L Ghezzi, V Tosti, J Liu, SK Song, AT Wu, J Rajamanickam, TLS Benzinger, B Mittendorfer, L. Piccio, C. Raji. Twelve-weeks of intermittent caloric restriction diet mitigates neuroinflammation in midlife individuals with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study with implications for prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease. J Alzheim Dis. In Press.
  • B Mittendorfer, BW Patterson, D Haire-Joshu, AG Cahill, WT Cade, RI Stein, S Klein. Insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function during early and late pregnancy in women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. In Press.
  • B Mittendorfer, BD Kayser, M Yoshino, J Yoshino, JD Watrous, M Jain, JC Eagon, BW Patterson, and S Klein. Heterogeneity in the effect of marked weight loss on metabolic function in women with obesity. JCI Insight. In Press.
  • X Zhang, TD Evans, S Chen, I Sergin, J Stitham, SJ Jeong, A Rodriguez-Velez, YS Yeh, A Park, IH Jung, A Diwan, JD Schilling, S Epelman, J Cho, IJ Lodhi, B Mittendorfer, B. Razani. Loss of macrophage-specific mTORC2 accelerates atherosclerosis via FOXO1-mediated IL-1β secretion. Circ Res. In Press.
  • B Mittendorfer, BW Patterson, F Magkos, M Yoshino, DP Bradley, JC Eagon, S Klein. Beta-cell function after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or reduced energy intake alone in people with obesity. JCI Insight. In Press.

Reviews

  • A Fappi and B Mittendorfer. Different physiological mechanisms underlie an adverse cardiovascular disease risk profile in men and women. Proc Nutr Soc. 79(2):210-218, 2020.
  • B Mittendorfer, S Klein, L. Fontana. Dietary protein: is more really better? Nat Rev Endocrinol. 16(1):59-66, 2020.
  • A Fappi and B Mittendorfer. Dietary protein intake and obesity-associated cardiometabolic dysfunction. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 23:380-386, 2020.
  • HE Koh C Cao, B Mittendorfer. Insulin clearance in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Int J Mol Sci. 23:596, 2022.
  • F Magkos and B Mittendorfer. Evolution of the diagnostic value of “the sugar of the blood”: hitting the sweet spot to identify alterations in glucose dynamics. Physiol Rev. 103:7-30, 2023.

Commentaries and Editorials (selected)

  • HE Koh and B. Mittendorfer. Adipose tissue lipolysis, fatty acids, and glucose homeostasis: new pieces that help solve the puzzle. EBioMedicine. 66:103311, 2021.
  • B Mittendorfer. Insulin, Nobel Laureates, and the Journal of Physiology. Associate Editors’ Perspective in celebration of the 600th volume of the Journal of Physiology. J Physiol. 600:1269-1270, 2022.
  • JW Beals and B Mittendorfer. The secret to a long “musclespan” is a little hard work. Associate Editors’ Perspective in celebration of the 600th volume of the Journal of Physiology. J Physiol. 600:2017-2018, 2022.
  • CJ Holmes and B Mittendorfer. Fish oil-derived omega-3 fatty acids — the missing ingredient to support muscle growth in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 116:623-624, 2022.
  • MC Petersen and B. Mittendorfer. Dysfunctional adipose tissue and skeletal muscle insulin resistance: cause and effect or two sides of the same coin? (Perspective) Obesity. In Press.