Principal Investigator
Benjamin Bikman
UG Degree: Exercise Science
PhD: Bioenergetics
Biography: I was born in a little farm town on the wind-swept prairies of Southern Alberta, Canada. Being the ninth of 13 children, I quickly learned essential life lessons—eat quickly, shower quickly, don’t insult seven older brothers, but if an insult is necessary, run quickly.
After my mission in Samara, Russia, I came to BYU. My pathway in academia began with my fascination with the body’s adaptations to exercise. I continued on this path for my doctoral studies at East Carolina University with Dr. Lynis Dohm. However, during this time, my interests shifted—rather than exploring the adaptations to exercise, I focused on the adaptations to and progression of obesity. Following a postdoctoral fellowship with the Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School in Singapore with Dr. Scott Summers, I accepted a position in the PDBIO department at BYU.
My research interests at BYU continue my interests in the causes and consequences of obesity with particular emphasis on insulin resistance.