Dr. Thomas Hawke

 

Dr. Thomas Hawke has been an Associate Professor at McMaster University in the department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine since 2009.  Following the completion of his PhD at the University of Guelph in 2000, in which he studied skeletal muscle electrolyte regulation under the supervision of Dr Michael Lindinger. Dr. Hawke spent three years studying muscle stem cell regulation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.  He currently teaches undergraduate courses in anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology, as well as anatomy for the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. 

Dr. Hawke’s research program has two major areas: 1) examining novel genes that play roles in guiding regeneration of injured skeletal muscle and 2) identifying the pathophysiology underlying diabetic myopathy particular in type 1 diabetes mellitus.  Dr. Hawke also has an adventurous streak: he spent time in Antarctica in 2005 to study skeletal muscle oxygen regulation in Weddell seals.  Current research projects in Dr. Hawke’s lab span from basic mechanistic to clinical studies with the common goal of identifying pathological processes in skeletal muscle as well as potential therapeutic approaches to improve muscle function and quality/quantity of life.  He has published in journals such as Diabetes, Cell Metabolism, Diabetologia, the American Journal of Physiology, and the Journal of Applied Physiology.