Karen Sweazea
Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
School of Life Sciences
Arizona State University
PO Box 874501
Tempe, AZ 85287-4501
Titles
- Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Associate Professor and Barrett Honors Faculty, School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, College of Health Solutions
Biography
Karen Sweazea is a physiologist who specializes in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. She received her PhD in Physiological Sciences from the University of Arizona where her research focused on understanding glucose homeostasis and natural insulin resistance in birds. Her postdoctoral research was designed to explore how poor dietary habits promote the development of cardiovascular diseases. She is an associate professor in the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion in the College of Health Solutions.
Professor Sweazea's current research seeks to explore potentially protective mechanisms existing in mammalian and non-mammalian organisms against complications that can arise with being overweight or having high blood sugar levels. One of the main research foci is on understanding the reasons behind the evolution of naturally high blood sugar concentrations in birds in addition to exploring the impact of urbanization and poor dietary choices on avian health. Learning how certain animals thrive under conditions that would result in pathologies for other species may help improve the treatment of diabetes. A second research focus is on characterizing the mechanisms by which high caloric intake leads to cardiovascular disease and diabetes in mammalian and non-mammalian organisms. This particular research focus also includes the exploration of potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of functional foods in an effort to improve diet and reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease in humans subjects.
Education
- PhD, Physiological Sciences, University of Arizona, 2005
- BS, Physiology, University of Arizona, 1998
- AA, General Studies, El Camino College, 1995
External Links
Journal Articles
2022
Clark, J. A., S. B. Lerman, A. J. Basile, H. L. Bateman, P. J. Deviche, P. S. Warren and K. L. Sweazea. 2022. No fry zones: How restaurant distribution and abundance influence avian communities in the Phoenix, AZ metropolitan area. PLOS One 17(10):e0269334. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269334. (link )
Mohr, A. E., A. J. Basile and K. L. Sweazea. 2022. An urban diet differentially alters the gut microbiome and metabolomic profiles compared with a seed diet in mourning doves. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 323(4):R385-R396 . DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00323.2021. (link )
2021
Basile, A. J., A. E. Mohr, P. Jasbi, H. Gu, P. J. Deviche and K. L. Sweazea. 2021. A four-week high fat diet does not alter plasma glucose or metabolic physiology in wild-caught mourning doves (Zenaida macroura). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 251(Jan):110820. DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110820. (link )
Basile, A. J., M. W. Renner, L. Kayata, P. J. Deviche and K. L. Sweazea. 2021. A four-week urban diet impairs vasodilation but not nutritional physiology in wild-caught mourning doves (Zenaida macroura).. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 94(4):. DOI: 10.1086/714831. (link )
2020
Funk, A., P. Hutton, S. R. Earl, P. J. Deviche and K. L. Sweazea. 2020. Short Communication: Levels of land use and land cover in Phoenix, Arizona are associated with elevated plasma triglycerides in the Gambel’s quail, Callipepla gambelii. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 247(Sept):110730. DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110730. (link )
2015
Sweazea, K. L., A. Simperova, T. Juan, A. Gadau, S. V. Brant, P. Deviche and C. Jarrett. 2015. Pathophysiological responses to a schistosome infection in a wild population of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura). Zoology 118(6):386-393. DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2015.07.001. (link )
Posters
2020
Clark, J. A., A. J. Basile, H. L. Bateman, S. B. Lerman, P. S. Warren, P. J. Deviche and K. L. Sweazea. 2020. No fry zones: Birds’ response to restaurant distributions in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Poster presented at the Twenty-second Annual CAP LTER All Scientists Meeting and Poster Symposium, January 17, 2020, Skysong, Scotsdale, AZ. (link )
Funk, A., P. Hutton, P. J. Deviche and K. L. Sweazea. 2020. Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii, in urbanized environments have elevated body mass and plasma lipids. Poster presented at the Twenty-second Annual CAP LTER All Scientists Meeting and Poster Symposium, January 17, 2020, Skysong, Scottsdale, AZ. (link )
2019
Basile, A. J., W. Clark, X. Shi, H. Gu, P. J. Deviche and K. L. Sweazea. 2019. Mourning Doves, Zenaida macroura, are resistant to metabolic effects of a mammalian diabetogenic refined-carbohydrate diet. Poster presented at the 21st Annual CAP LTER All Scientists Meeting and Poster Symposium, January 11, 2019, Skyson, Scottsdale, AZ. (link )