Scordilis’ research interests are in molecular physiology and sexual dimorphism of skeletal muscle. Ordered, regulated movement is one of the distinguishing characteristics of life. In Scordilis’ lab, students attempt to discover how contractility is maintained following reparable muscle damage. Muscle cells are remarkably adaptable; they can atrophy, hypertrophy, remodel depending on environmental stimuli and repair following a damaging event. All of these adaptations involve stress proteins, enzyme signaling cascades and steroid receptors.

The lab applies the paradigms and techniques of biochemistry, molecular and cell biology and proteomics to investigate "What is the response of muscle cells to exercise?" and "Are female and male muscles different?"  They study human and mouse skeletal muscle following eccentrically biased (lengthening) contractions and muscle cell development in cell culture by global analysis of protein expression using proteomic techniques, and specific analysis of certain proteins following exercise by immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, biochemical techniques, confocal microscopy, qRT­-PCR, transcriptomics, as well as high-resolution 2­D gel electrophoresis and nanoscale high pressure liquid chromatography-­coupled mass spectrometry. This system of proteins orchestrates the mitigation of damage, the repair of damaged muscle and the acquisition of tolerance to damage.

Selected Publications

Russ, D., Dimova, K., Morris, E., Pacheco, M., Garvey, S. M. and S. P. Scordilis.  Dietary Fish Oil Supplement Induces Age-Specific Contractile and Proteomic Responses in Muscles of Male Rats. Lipids in Health and Disease, 19: 165-177, DOI: 10.1186/s12944-020-01333-4, 2020

Dimova, K., L. Metskas, M. Kulp and S. P. Scordilis. "Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism From Proteomics." J. Vis. Exp. 58, e3536, DOI: 10.3791/3536, 2011.

Metskas, L. A., M. Kulp and S. P. Scordilis. "Gender Dimorphism in the Exercise­ naïve Murine Skeletal Muscle Proteome." Cell Molec Biol. Lett., 15: 507­-516, 2010.

Thompson, H. S., S. P. Scordilis, and M. J. DeSouza. 2006. "Serum creatine kinase activity varies with ovulatory status in regularly exercising, premenopausal women." Hormone Research, 65: 151­-58.

Scordilis, S. P. and T. S. Litwin. 2005. "Integrating technology, science and undergraduate education at Smith College: The creation of student/­faculty research centers." CUR Quarterly,  25: 138­-40.

Robbart, M., P. Peckol, S. P. Scordilis, H. A. Curran and J. Brown-­Saracino. 2004. "Population recovery and differential heat shock protein expression for the corals Agaricia agaricites and A. tenuifolia in Belize." Mar. Prog. Res. Ser, 283: 151­-60.

Thompson, H. S., E. B. Maynard, E. R. Morales, and S. P. Scordilis. 2003. "Exercise-­induced HSP27, HSP70 and MAPK responses in human skeletal muscle." Acta Physiol. Scand. 178: 61­-72.

Thompson, H. S., P. M. Clarkson, and S. P. Scordilis. 2002. "The repeated bout effect and heat shock proteins: Intramuscular HSP27 and HSP70 expression following two bouts of eccentric exercise in humans." Acta Physiol. Scand., 174: 47­-56.

Thompson, H. S., S. P. Scordilis, P. M. Clarkson, and W. A. Lohrer. 2001. "A Single bout of eccentric exercise increases HSP27 and HSC/HSP70 in human skeletal muscle."Acta Physiol. Scand., 171: 187­94.

Schak, K. M., S. P. Scordilis, G. Ferreyra and M. E. Harrington. 2001. "Neuropeptide Y activates protein kinase C in hamster suprachiasmatic nuclei brain slices." Biol. Rhythm Res., 32: 201­-06.

Miller, D. D., S. P. Scordilis, and P. K. Hepler. 1995. "Identification and localization of three classes of myosins in pollen tubes of Lilium longiflorum and Nicotiana alata." J. Cell Sci., 108: 2549­-63.

Briggs, R. T., S. P. Scordilis and J. A. Powell. 1995. "Myofibrillogenesis in rodent skeletal muscle in vitro: Two pathways involving thick filament aggregates." Tissue and Cell, 27: 91­-104.

Thompson, H. S. and S. P. Scordilis. 1994. "Ubiquitin changes in human biceps muscle following exercise-­induced damage." Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 204: 1193­-98.

Reichsman, F., S. P. Scordilis, P. M. Clarkson and W. J. Evans. 1991. "Muscle protein changes following eccentric exercise in humans." Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. Occup. Physiol., 62: 245­-50.