Education:
- Undergraduate: Murdoch University, Australia: BS, 1992
- Postgraduate: Murdoch University: DVM, 1996; University of Melbourne: MS 1999
- Residency: University of Melbourne: Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1997-1999
- Fellowships: University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana: Clinical Pharmacology, 1999-2002; Wake Forest University: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 2003-2005
Interests:
- Research: Nutrition, obesity and insulin sensitivity; mechanisms of cardiovascular disease in diabetes and the role of heat shock proteins in diabetic complications; lipid metabolism
- Clinical: Nutrition and health
Current Research:
My interests lie in understanding how a chronic hyperglycaemic state changes the body's ability to cope with metabolic stress. High glucose not only increases the oxidative load on all cells but also impairs the ability to respond and cope with that insult. I am particularly interested in the chaperone proteins (heat shock protein family) and their loss of inducibility with diabetes, the changes in extracellular matrix and antioxidant super oxide dismutases which can lead to further cell damage which can manifest as endothelial dysfunction and eventual atherogenesis. We are also actively researching nutritional influences on obesity and carbohydrate metabolism, looking particularly at the effects of different fat and protein sources and hope to expand these findings into evaluating pre- and post-natal effects of maternal nutrition.
Recent Publications:
Kavanagh K, Jones KL, Sawyer J, Kelley K, Carr JJ, Wagner JD, Rudel LL. Trans fat diet induces abdominal obesity and changes in insulin sensitivity in monkeys. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007 Jul;15(7):1675-84.
Kavanagh K, Fairbanks LA, Bailey JN, Jorgensen MJ, Wilson M, Zhang L, Rudel LL, Wagner JD. Characterization and heritability of obesity and associated risk factors in vervet monkeys. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007 Jul;15(7):1666-74.
Shadoan MK, Kavanagh K, Zhang L, Anthony MS, Wagner JD. Addition of medroxyprogesterone acetate to conjugated equine estrogens results in insulin resistance in adipose tissue. Metabolism. 2007 Jun;56(6):830-7.
Wagner JE, Kavanagh K, Ward GM, Auerbach BJ, Harwood HJ Jr, Kaplan JR. Old world nonhuman primate models of type 2 diabetes mellitus. ILAR J. 2006;47(3):259-71.
Kavanagh K, Koudy Williams J, Wagner JD. Naturally occurring menopause in cynomolgus monkeys: changes in hormone, lipid, and carbohydrate measures with hormonal status. J Med Primatol. 2005 Aug;34(4):171-7.
Kavanagh K. Sick sinus syndrome in a bull terrier. Can Vet J. 2002 43(1):46-48.
Kavanagh K, Gelderman D. Oral glycosaminoglycans; A survey of responses. Aust Vet J. 1999 77(4); 220-221.
Kavanagh K, Mills JN. Measuring electrolytes: An evaluation of the IDEXX Vetlyte Ion Selective Electrode method. Aust Vet Practic. (1997) 27(2); 25-30.
Abstracts and Presentations:
Ingram K, Kaplan J, Kavanagh K, Wagner JD. The effect of dietary soy on adipose tissue, adipocytokines, and insulin sensitivity. Abstract presentation 6th International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease, 2005 Chicago IL.
Kavanagh K, Zhang L, Davis MA, Rudel LL, Williams JK, Wagner JD. Comparison of dietary soy and estrogen effects on hepatic cholesterol metabolism in ovariectomized cynomolgus monkeys. Oral presentation of abstract at Experimental Biology 2005, American Society for Nutritional Sciences.
Katakam PVG, Kavanagh K, Jarajapu PRY, Snipes JA, Tulbert CD, Rowe P, Wagner JD, Busija DW. Impaired Vasorelaxation of Coronary Arteries in Cynomolgus Monkeys with Diabetes. Abstract presented at Experimental Biology, 2006 San Francisco CA.
Kavanagh K, Bailey JN, Jorgensen MJ, Zhang L, Wilson MD, Rudel LL, Fairbanks LA, Wagner JD. Characterization and heritability of obesity and associated risk factors in vervet monkeys. Abstract presented at Metabolic Syndrome/Metabolic Risks: Implications for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction (AHA and ADA sponsored meeting), San Francisco 2006. Submitted to Obes Res.
Kavanagh K, Jones K, Sawyer J, Kelly K, Wagner JD, Rudel LL. Trans fat diet induces insulin resistance in monkeys. Diabetes 2006;55(Suppl 1):A77. Submitted to Obes Res.
Rowe P, Kavanagh K, Zhang L, Wagner JD. Elevated plasma ferritin and impaired heme oxygenase-1 response in arteries from diabetic monkeys. Diabetes 2006;55(Suppl 1):A174.
Kavanagh K, Zhang L, Tytell M, Wagner JD. Type 2 diabetic monkeys have reduced plasma HSP70. Diabetes 2005 54(Suppl.1); A476.
Kavanagh K, Zhang L, Wagner JD. Early diabetes reduces arterial extracellular superoxide dismutase. Diabetes 2005 54(Suppl.1); A194.