WEBINAR SERIES—Effects of Ovarian Failure on Muscle Form and Function

October 30, 2024
11 a.m. EST

Sponsored by: Aurora Scientific

In this webinar, Parastoo Mashouri, MSc, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph in Canada, will offer a nuanced perspective on the time-course changes in muscle function throughout menopause. She will discuss her findings on the contractile properties of skeletal muscles at the single fiber level and will explore the fatty infiltration and fibrosis that occurs in muscles post-ovarian failure which affects overall muscle health and function. This session will also highlight the broader implications of these changes, emphasizing the importance of studying the muscles during perimenopause. Mashouri will explain how understanding the physiological changes during this critical transitional phase of life can lead to potential strategies for lessening the negative effects of menopause on women’s health. 

Key topics include: 

• Gain insights into the VCD (4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide) model of chemically induced ovarian failure and its advantages over the ovariectomy model. 
• Learn about the impact of gradual ovarian failure on the contractile properties and morphology of skeletal muscles. 
• Understand the importance of studying menopause as a dynamic process rather than a singular timepoint, and how this perspective can lead to more accurate interpretations of research findings. 
• Consider the broader implications of menopause-related muscle changes on women’s health and potential ways to identify strategies for lessening their effects. 

Speaker

Parastoo Mashouri, MSc
PhD Candidate, University of Guelph

Parastoo Mashouri, MSc, is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences in the Neuromechanical Performance Research Lab at the University of Guelph in Canada. She funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Mashouri earned her honors degree in kinesiology from York University before pursuing her master's and PhD at the University of Guelph, where she developed a keen interest in cellular biomechanics. Her doctoral research focuses on understanding the effects of gradual ovarian failure (a model for studying menopause) on skeletal muscle function.