Jorge L Ruas
Professor of Pharmacology
Medical School
Institute for Heart & Brain Health (IHBH)
2800 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48019-2800
[email protected]

Available to mentor
Jorge L Ruas
Professor
  • About
  • Links
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Recent Publications
    • Manage Your Profile
    About

    After receiving my Pharm.D. degree from the University of Lisbon, I moved to Karolinska Institutet (KI) for my doctoral studies. During that time I investigated how cellular oxygen levels can regulate adaptive gene expression, and in 2005 received my Ph.D. in Medical Sciences.

    In 2006 I moved to Boston to pursue postdoctoral studies at the Division of Metabolism and Chronic Disease at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. During this period I focused on the study of transcriptional networks that control skeletal muscle physiology. In 2011 I started my research group at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at KI, became an Associate Professor in 2016, and Professor of Molecular Physiology in 2020.

    In 2023 I joined the Department of Pharmacology and The Institute for Heart & Brain Health(link is external) at the University of Michigan Medical School as Professor of Pharmacology.

    Our research (ruaslab.science) aims to identify the molecular mediators of the health benefits of exercise and to use this knowledge to develop novel disease therapies.

    Links
    Qualifications
    • Postdoc
      Harvard Medical School, Cell Biology, 2011
    • PhD
      Karolinska Institute, 2005
    • PharmD
      University of Lisbon, 1995
    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Precision Health Initiative
    Research Overview

    Research in our laboratory is aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms that mediate skeletal muscle adaptations to diverse challenges and their local and systemic consequences. We are particularly interested in understanding how exercised or sedentary skeletal muscle cross-talks with other organs, and how it can affect individual health and disease.

    Recent Publications See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Endurance exercise with reduced muscle glycogen content influences substrate utilization and attenuates acute mTORC1- and autophagic signaling in human type I and type II muscle fibers
      Horwath O, Cornet L, Strömlind H, Moberg M, Edman S, Söderlund K, Checa A, Ruas JL, Blomstrand E. Skeletal Muscle, 2025 Dec 1; 15 (1): DOI:10.1186/s13395-025-00377-3
      PMID: 40128889
    • Journal Article
      Constitutive loss of kynurenine-3-monooxygenase changes circulating kynurenine metabolites without affecting systemic energy metabolism
      Dumont KD, Jannig PR, Porsmyr-Palmertz M, Ruas JL. American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2025 Feb 1; 328 (2): E274 - E285. DOI:10.1152/ajpendo.00386.2024
      PMID: 39805032
    • Journal Article
      The mitochondrial mRNA-stabilizing protein SLIRP regulates skeletal muscle mitochondrial structure and respiration by exercise-recoverable mechanisms
      Pham TCP, Raun SH, Havula E, Henriquez-Olguín C, Rubalcava-Gracia D, Frank E, Fritzen AM, Jannig PR, Andersen NR, Kruse R, Ali MS, Irazoki A, Halling JF, Ringholm S, Needham EJ, Hansen S, Lemminger AK, Schjerling P, Petersen MH, de Almeida ME, Jensen TE, Kiens B, Hostrup M, Larsen S, Ørtenblad N, Højlund K, Kjær M, Ruas JL, Trifunovic A, Wojtaszewski JFP, Nielsen J, Qvortrup K, Pilegaard H, Richter EA, Sylow L. Nature Communications, 2024 Dec 1; 15 (1): DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-54183-4
      PMID: 39537626
    • Journal Article
      Senescence detection using reflected light
      Dedic B, Westerberg L, Mosqueda Solís A, Dumont KD, Ruas JL, Thorell A, Näslund E, Spalding KL. Aging Cell, 2024 Nov 1; 23 (11): DOI:10.1111/acel.14295
      PMID: 39102872
    • Preprint
      Endurance exercise with reduced muscle glycogen content influences substrate utilization and attenuates acute mTORC1- and autophagic signaling in human type I and type II muscle fibers
      Horwath O, Cornet L, Strömlind H, Moberg M, Edman S, Söderlund K, Checa A, Ruas JL, Blomstrand E. 2024 Oct 22; bioRxiv, DOI:10.1101/2024.10.14.618241
    • Journal Article
      Mood, Cognitive Function, and Plasma Kynurenine Metabolites Responses Following Severe Changes in Physical Activity
      Kamandulis S, Lukonaitiene I, Snieckus A, Brazaitis M, Mickevicius M, Cernych M, Ruas J, Schwieler L, Louvrou V, Erhardt S, Westerblad H, Venckunas T. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2024 Oct 1; 56 (10): 2007 - 2015. DOI:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003488
      PMID: 38857520
    • Journal Article
      A 2-hydroxybutyrate-mediated feedback loop regulates muscular fatigue
      Wadsworth BJ, Leiwe M, Minogue EA, Cunha PP, Engman V, Brombach C, Asvestis C, Sah-Teli SK, Marklund E, Karppinen P, Ruas JL, Rundqvist H, Lanner JT, Johnson RS. eLife, 2024 Sep 3; 12: DOI:10.7554/eLife.92707
      PMID: 39226092
    • Journal Article
      Zfp697 is an RNA-binding protein that regulates skeletal muscle inflammation and remodeling
      Correia JC, Jannig PR, Gosztyla ML, Cervenka I, Ducommun S, Præstholm SM, Dias JM, Dumont KD, Liu Z, Liang Q, Edsgärd D, Emanuelsson O, Gregorevic P, Westerblad H, Venckunas T, Brazaitis M, Kamandulis S, Lanner JT, Teixeira AI, Yeo GW, Ruas JL. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2024 Aug 20; 121 (34): DOI:10.1073/pnas.2319724121