Today’s episode is the first of a two-part interview with Dr. Keith Baar, the head of the Functional Molecular Biology Laboratory in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at the University of California, Davis. In his capacity as a researcher, Keith has made fundamental discoveries on how muscle grows bigger, stronger, and more fatigue resistant. He is a renowned scientist in the emerging field of molecular exercise physiology, and is leading a team of researchers attempting to develop ways to improve muscle, tendon and ligament function. Part one of our interview features our conversation with Keith about his background and his time time in the lab of John Holloszy, who is known as the father of exercise research in the United States. Episode 63 of STEM-Talk has Dawn and Ken talking to Keith about his most recent research, which is looking at how to determine the best way to train, as well as what types of foods compliment training to decrease tendon and ligament injury and accelerate return to play. This work has the potential to improve muscle function and people’s quality of life, especially as they age. Ken and Dawn also have a conversation with Keith about the research he is doing on a ketogenic diet and its potential to reduce cancer rates and improve cognition. Links: UC Davis physiology department bio: https://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/physiology/faculty/baar.html UC Davis biology department bio” https://biology.ucdavis.edu/people/keith-baar Functional Molecular Biology Lab website: http://www.fmblab.com Molecular brakes regulating mTORC1 activation in skeletal muscle paper: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4137116/ Age-related Differences in Dystrophin article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27382038