Craig Porter, PhD

Dr. Craig Porter is an Associate Professor within the Department of Pediatrics at UAMS, and serves as the Associate Director of the Physical Activity Core Laboratory and leads the Physical Activity, Energetics and Metabolism Research Laboratory at Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center. He is also a researcher within the NIH-funded Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute. He received an undergraduate degree in Physiology, Sports Science and Nutrition from the University of Glasgow – Scotland, followed by a PhD in skeletal muscle physiology from the University of Nottingham, England. Prior to coming to ACRI, Dr. Porter was an Associate Professor within the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston and directed the Metabolism Unit at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Galveston.

As a metabolic physiologist, Dr. Porter’s primary interests relate to bioenergetics and the role of the mitochondrion in health and disease. The goal of his research is to better understand the impact of physical activity, nutrition, and disease on mitochondrial function. He utilizes approaches including calorimetry, stable isotopes, and high-resolution respirometry to study metabolism and bioenergetics in healthy humans, patients, and appropriate pre-clinical models.

Phone: 501-364-4094