Jamie Melling, PhD
Research In Profile
The specific aim of our current research program is to determine which mode of chronic exercise (aerobic and/or resistance) and accompanying insulin treatment regime, leads to the lowest risk of hypoglycemia development and largest improvement in overall cardiovascular health in patients with Type 1 Diabetes. Our laboratory has demonstrated the protective effects of combined forms of exercise on cardiovascular health using a preclinical model of Type 1 diabetes. Moreover, the promise of a lessened risk of hypoglycemia using this modality of exercise has shown that the integration of resistance exercise with aerobic exercise can improve cardiovascular health without the accompanying risk of hypoglycemia. Interestingly, our research shows that this type of combined exercise (resistance/aerobic) is more beneficial than intensive insulin therapy alone, the current standard for prescribed treatment to patients with T1DM. The therapeutic value of intensive insulin therapy is a very controversial topic in the area of diabetes care; a concern that is highlighted by clinical findings that intensively insulin treated T1DM patients often develops insulin resistance. We are confident that our work will establish that insulin resistance is the key determinant to cardiovascular disease onset and combined exercise is the most effective means to alleviate the development of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease in T1DM.
Featured Publications and Projects
Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals
- Dotzert MS, McDonald MW, Olver TD, Melling CWJ1 (2022). The influence of combined exercise training versus standard intensive insulin therapy on insulin resistance development in a rodent model of type 1 diabetes. Journal of Diabetes and its complications. Accepted Oct 25, 2022.
- Murphy KT, Melling CW1 Assessment of Executive Function Using a Series of Operant Conditioning Based Tasks in T1DM Rodents. Behav Brain Res. 2022 Sep 28;437:11413
- Larocque J, Melling CW1. Sexual Dimorphism in Response to Repetitive Bouts of Acute Exercise in Rodents with Type1 Diabetes Mellitus. PLoS One. 2022 Sep 9;17(9):e0273701.
- Lukacs MJ; Melling CWJ; Walton DM (2022) Exploring the relationship between meaningful conditioned pain modulation and stress system reactivity in healthy adults following exposure to the cold pressor task Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2022 Feb;57:102489.
- McBey DP; Dotzert M. Melling CWJ1 ;. (2021). The Effects of Exercise Training versus Intensive Insulin Treatment on SkeletalMuscle Fibre content in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Rodents. Lipids in Health and Disease. July 6:20: 64
- Chen L, Dotzert M, Melling CWJ3, and Zhang J. (2020). Tunable Photoluminescence of Carbon Dots used for Homogenous Glucose Sensor. Biochemical Engineering. July 15; 159: 107580
- McDonald MW, Dotzert M, Olver D, Jurrissen T, Padilla J, Melling CW1. (2019). Aerobic exercise training improves insulin-induced vasorelaxation in a vessel-specific manner in rats with insulin-treated experimental diabetes. Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research. Diab Vasc Dis Res. 2019 Jan;16(1):77-86. doi: 10.1177/1479164118815279
- Dotzert M, McDonald M, Murray M, Nickels JZ, Noble EG, Melling CW1. (2018). Effect of combined exercise versus aerobic exercise only training on skeletal muscle lipid metabolism in a rodent model of Type I diabetes. Canadian Journal of Diabetes. Aug: 42(4): s1499: 30314.
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Current Grants and Research Projects
- Gill SE (nominated PI); Melling CWJ (Co-PI); Veldhuizen R (Co-PI) Aging and exercise: impact on the pathophysiology of ventilation-induced lung injury July 2021 $100,000 CDN Canadian Institute of Health Research
- Melling CW (PI) Sex Differences in glucose regulation following acute and recurrent exercise 2020-2025 Natural Sciences and Engineering Council - Discovery Grant
Featured Graduate Student Projects
Visit for a list of completed student theses and dissertations in the repository.
Additional Information
Academic Appointments and Research Affiliations
- The American Diabetes Association
- The American Physiology Society
- Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology
- Cross-appointment to the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry)
