TL1 Postdoctoral Trainee Landon Deru, Ph.D., MBA, ATC; University of Kansas Medical Center

Project Title: Examination of the effects of a behavioral weight loss intervention with physical activity on acute and chronic measures of glycemic control

Project Summary: Maintaining glycemic control has been associated with improved clinical outcomes including reduced mortality, improved quality of life, and better functional status. Given that both physical activity and weight loss have independently been associated with improved glycemic control, this study aims to explore how various modes of physical activity, within the context of a weight loss program, may affect glucose control in adults with overweight or obesity. To accomplish this, all participants will be enrolled in a 6-month behavioral weight loss program that includes weekly in-person sessions of supervised exercise and a standard behavioral weight loss intervention session. Beyond the supervised exercise, participants will be instructed to exercise on their own 4 days per week for a total of 5 days of exercise per week. Participants will either be assigned to complete aerobic exercise 5 days per week, or to complete 3 days of aerobic exercise and 2 days of yoga per week. Using continuous glucose monitors and blood samples, we will measure the acute glycemic response to exercise at baseline and again at 6 months. We hypothesize that glycemic control will improve over time in both groups as they become more physically active and as they experience weight loss. It will be interesting to see whether one modality is more effective for improving glycemic control than another.

Mentors: John Jakicic, Ph.D.; John Thyfault, Ph.D.

Landon Deru had a focus on helping people early in life as he started working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) during college. He enjoyed patient care and clinical work as he studied sports medicine and athletic training. He worked in a variety of roles in sports medicine, including outpatient physical therapy, as a high school athletic trainer, and even with the U.S. Olympic Ski team. During this time, he realized he enjoyed caring for people and move from Northern Utah to Kansas City to begin medical school at Kansas City University (KCU). While he was at KCU, he also attended Rockhurst University to earn a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA). During his time in medical school, he had to make the decision to focus on his family and left KCU, but always knew he wanted to be in academia where he could continue to help people through a different lens.

“Since I knew I wanted to work in academia, I said ‘let’s make it happen.’ And so, we moved back to Utah, and I got my Ph.D. at Brigham Young University (BYU),” Deru said. “And my MBA has actually helped me…understand healthcare administration and business in general.”

And all this training has led Landon to help people with weight management and nutrition.

“I really saw how important nutrition was when I was working in athletic training. The three pillars of health really are sleep, physical activity, and nutrition,” he said. “And as I took care of people I thought, ‘we can solve a lot of problems by focusing on these three pillars.’”

Deru’s Ph.D. work focused on physical activity and fasting regimens and how those affected metabolism and inflammation, and overall health.

“I was originally working on an F32 but when the TL1 notice came through, I really thought I’d rather take part in the TL1 program because it is so much more trainee focused,” Deru said. “The program is really hands-on in helping trainees. It really feels like there are more opportunities within the program to help us advance to the next steps of our career, like the Frontiers Scholars Club, access to resources, and really helping address gaps in my training.”

“BYU is not a big research institution, so I did not get a lot of exposure to the entire process of clinical trials or big research. But the TL1 program provides so many of those opportunities to see the bigger picture of research. And then there is the mock study section and the grant writing help, plus the statistical analysis help.”

And for his TL1 project, he is collaborating with mentor John Jakicic, Ph.D., on a weight loss study that is part of an RO1. The project will focus on putting overweight and obese persons through a standard weight loss program where there are calorie restrictions, behavioral strategies and varying lengths and types of physical activity. Deru will focus on glucose control and how physical activity may be affecting each individual’s glucose.

And as he continues to work through the TL1 program, one thing he has noticed is the passion of his fellow trainees.

“It has been really cool to see the passion everyone brings to the project they are working on. We are all working in different areas, but we are all passionate about what we are doing,” he said. “And I have also seen the compassion that people have. We are trying to address a lot of different ailments and seeing the changes from the start of a project to the end is very fulfilling.”