Kathleen Axen

  Professor
  Department: Health and Nutrition Sciences
  Location: 4139 Ingersoll Hall
  Phone: 718-951-5000 x2741
  Fax: 718-951-4670

Email:

I am a research scientist in the field of Nutrition. My academic training encompasses a B.S. in Home Economics/Dietetics, an M.S. in Human Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry. I completed a 2.5 year post-doctoral research fellowship in Endocrinology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
I have been a full-time faculty member at Brooklyn College, CUNY since 1983. I have taught a dozen different undergraduate and graduate courses in Nutrition. I have mentored many students in laboratory research, some of whom have completed their Master's theses with me. I have been the Graduate Deputy Chairperson (director) of the M.S. in Nutrition since its beginning in 1985.
My work at Columbia University focused on type 1 diabetes, in which auto-immune destruction of the pancreatic insulin-producing cells accounts for massive metabolic impairments. My post-doctoral research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine elucidated aspects of the signaling mechanism for insulin release.

Education:
Ph.D., COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - 1980 (NUTRITIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY)

M.S., COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - 1975 (HUMAN NUTRITION)

B.S., HUNTER COLLEGE, CUNY - 1974 (HOME ECONOMICS/DIETETICS)

Areas of Expertise:
Since I came to Brooklyn College my research has mainly concerned type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent form of the disease. Since expression of type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with obesity, we have used animal models of obesity to study the development and treatment of the disease. We have focused recently on the effect of diet composition on the development of insulin resistance, a condition in which insulin is less effective in its metabolic actions.

Books and Publications
Axen, K, Hallak, K, Phillips, P and Axen,K. Very Low-Carbohydrate Weight-Reduction Diet Retards Loss of Visceral, Intramyocellular and Hepatic Fat in Obese Rats. Annual Meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity. Obesity 15 (Suppl 1):A41, 2007. (Books and Publications: Abstract) 2007

(1) Axen, K.V. and Axen, K. Longitudinal Changes in Glycemic Control in Dietary Obese Rats Fed Isocaloric High- vs. Very Low- Carbohydrate Diets. Obesity 14 (Suppl 1): A61, 2006.

Miller, M., K.V. Axen, K. Axen, K. Clarke, V. Hallak, J. Hernandez, D. Jones. Effects of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Leptin Sensitivity in Obese Rats. Obesity 14 (Suppl 1): A134, 2006.

(Books and Publications: Abstract) 2006

Axen, K.V. and Axen, K. Very Low-Carbohydrate vs. Isocaloric High-Carbohydrate Diet in Dietary Obese Rats. Obesity 14:1344-1352, 2006. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2006

Axen, K.V. and K. Axen. Effect of Atkins Diet on Insulin Resistance and Glycemic Control in Dietary Obese Rats. Obesity Research 13 (Supplement): A53, 2005. (Books and Publications: Abstract) 2005

Greenberg, J., Axen, K.V., Schnoll, R. and Boozer, C.N. Coffee, Tea and Diabetes: The Role of Weight Loss and Caffeine. J.,.
Int J Obes (Lond). 29:1121-9, 2005.
(Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2005

Awards, Honors and Fellowships
Co-PI for NSF- funded project, "Developing a STEM Curriculum for Early College Programs: A High School to College Continuum. (Grants and Fellowships) 2008

Effect of diet composition on preservation of pancreatic islet function during weight loss. The Professional Staff Congress and City University of New York Research Award Program. 7/2008 - 6/2009 (Grants and Fellowships) 2008

Effects of a very low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet on the metabolic syndrome in obese rats. The Professional Staff Congress and City University of New York Research Award Program. 7/2006 - 6/2008. (Grants and Fellowships) 2007

Effects of a Very Low-Carbohydrate, High-Protein Diet on the Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Rats. The Professional Staff Congress and City University of New York Research Award Program. 7/2007 - 6/2008. (Grants and Fellowships) 2007

Does a Long-Term Very Low-Carbohydrate Diet Alter Tissue Lipid and Protein Composition? The Professional Staff Congress and City University of New York Research Award Program. 7/2006 - 6/2007. (Grants and Fellowships) 2006

Effect of Very Low Carbohydrate Diet on Insulin Secretion. The Professional Staff Congress and City University of New York Research Award Program. 7/2005 - 6/2006. (Grants and Fellowships) 2005

Research Activities
Preparation of manuscript (with two Brooklyn College MS in Nutrition students as co authors): "Enhanced Responsiveness to Satiety Peptides in Rats Following a Low--carbohydrate Weight Loss Diet." 2008

preparation of SCORE proposal for resubmission in May 2009. 2008

Research Mentor for MARC and Intel students 2007

Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums
1)Axen, KV "Longterm effects of very low carbohydrate diets on dietary obese rats" Obesity Research Center Seminar, Columbia University. April 2008.

2)Axen KV, Hallak V, Phillips M, Axen K. Very low-carbohydrate weight-reduction diet retards loss of visceral, intramyocellular and hepatic fat in obese rats. Brooklyn College Faculty Day. May 2008.

3)Axen, KV, Mimberg K, Glassman A, Trasybule N, Axen K. High protein content impedes loss of body fat by isocaloric ver low-carbohydrate diets in obese rats. Annual Meeting of the Obesity Society. October 2008. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2008

(1)Axen, K, Hallak, K, Phillips, P and Axen,K. Very Low-Carbohydrate Weight-Reduction Diet Retards Loss of Visceral, Intramyocellular and Hepatic Fat in Obese Rats. Annual Meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity.
Obesity 15 (Suppl 1):A41, 2007; AND (2).

Axen, K.V. Effect of a very low carbohydrate diet on the Metabolic Syndrome.
Columbia University Metabolic Seminar. March 2007.

(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007

(1) Axen, K.V. and Axen, K. Longitudinal Changes in Glycemic Control in Dietary Obese Rats Fed Isocaloric High- vs. Very Low- Carbohydrate Diets. Annual Meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, 2006.

(2) Miller, M., K.V. Axen, K. Axen, K. Clarke, V. Hallak, J. Hernandez, D. Jones. Effects of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Leptin Sensitivity in Obese Rats. Annual Meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, 2006.

(3) Axen, K.V. and Axen, K. Effect of Very Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Insulin Resistance and Glycemic Control in Dietary Obese Rats.Nutrition and Metabolism Society. New York, January 2006.
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2006

Axen, K.V. and K. Axen. Effect of Atkins Diet on Insulin Resistance and Glycemic Control in Dietary Obese Rats. Annual Meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity.Vancouver, October 2005. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2005

Professional Leadership
(1) Chairperson, Brooklyn College Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
(2) Chairperson, Brooklyn College Radiation Safety Committee (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2007

(1) Chairperson, Brooklyn College Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
(2) Chairperson Brooklyn College Radiation Safety Committee (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2006

Other Professional Activities
1)Faculty member, 6 seminar series on "Fat: in your Food, in your Body, in your Health" for Brooklyn College STAR project(Spring 2008).
2) STAR Workshop (6 weeks) presenter: "When Good Food Goes Superbad".

2008