Maria L. Urso PhD

Dr. Maria Urso received her undergraduate and master's degree in Kinesiology from the University of Rhode Island. Her experiences at URI and with the NEACSM contributed to her decision to pursue a PhD in Kinesiology. She completed her PhD at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Dr. Priscilla Clarkson was her advisor, mentor, and mend. In the Clarkson lab, new research focused on understanding the genetic make-up of skeletal muscle, and now muscle responded to various perturbations from nutrition to medication, to disuse. After graduation, Mana became a research scientist at the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (LISARIEM).

As a principal investigator, her research focused on expediting the recovery of skeletal muscle following blast injury using novel pharmacological interventions. While at LISARIEM, Dr. Urso served as an Active Duty Major in the Army. Following USARIEM, Marla made the transition to work in medical matters in the industry. she currently works in the Medical Attain for BTG, a company that develops specialized pharmaceuticals for cancer and cardiovascular disease.