Jonathan Little B Kin, MSc, PhD

Current Positions and Affiliations:

  • Assistant Professor, School of Health and Exercise Sciences,
    Faculty of Health and Social Development, UBC Okanagan

Areas of Research Interest:

  • impaired metabolic health and its relationship with obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes
  • therapeutic benefits of exercise and its anti-inflammatory effects
  • role of low-carbohydrate diets in the treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes
  • impact of obesity on brain health

Current Research Related to the Institute's Priorities:

Optimizing exercise for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes
PI: Jonathan Little
Date: 2015 - 2020
Funded by: CIHR New Investigator Award, $300,000

Myokines as a novel link between exercise metabolism and inflammation
PI: Jonathan Little
Date: 2013 - 2018
Funded by: NSERC Discovery Grant, $145,000

Publications and Reports:

Durrer, C., Francois, M., Neudorf, H., Little, J.P.  (2017). Acute high-intensity interval exercise reduces human monocyte toll-like receptor 2 expression in type 2 diabetes. American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 312, 4(4), R529-R538. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00348.2016

Forbes, S.C., Sletten, N., Durrer, C., Myette-Côté, E., Candow, D., Little, J.P. (2017). Creatine monohydrate supplementation does not augment fitness, performance, or body composition adaptations in response to four weeks of high-intensity interval training in young females. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 27(3), 185 - 192. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2016-0129

Francois, M.E., Little, J.P. (2017). The impact of acute high-intensity interval exercise on biomarkers of cardiovascular health in type 2 diabetes. European Journal of Applied Physiology. Oct. 1. doi: 10.1007/s00421-017-3649-2

Barry, J.C., Simtchouk, S., Durrer, C., Jung, M.E., Little, J.P. (2017). Short-Term Exercise Training Alters Leukocyte Chemokine Receptors in Obese Adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001261

Granata, C., Oliveira, R.S.F., Little, J.P., Renner, K., Bishop, D.J. (2016). Training intensity modulates changes in PGC-1α and p53 protein content and mitochondrial respiration, but not markers of mitochondrial content in human skeletal muscle. FASEB Journal, 30(2), 959-970. doi: 10.1096/fj.15-276907

Safdar, A., Khrapko, K., Flynn, J.M., Saleem, A., De Lisio, M., Johnston, A.P.W., Kratysberg, Y., Samjoo, I.A., Kitaoka, Y., Ogborn, D.I., Little, J.P., Raha, S., Parise, G., Akhtar, M., Hettinga, B.P., Rowe, G.C., Arany, Z., Prolla, T.A., Tarnopolsky, M.A. (2016). Exercise-induced mitochondrial p53 repairs mtDNA mutations in mutator mice. Skeletal Muscle, 6(1). doi: 10.1186/s13395-016-0075-9

Spielman, L.J., Little, J.P., Klegeris, A. (2016). Physical activity and exercise attenuate neuroinflammation in neurological diseases. Brain Research Bulletin, (125), 19-29. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.03.012

Jung, M.E., Little, J.P., Batterham, A.M. (2016). Commentary: Why sprint interval training is inappropriate for a largely sedentary population. Frontiers in Psychology, (6)Jan. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01999

Barry, J. C., Shakibakho, S., Durrer, C., Simtchouk, S., Jawanda, K. K., Cheung, S. T., ... & Little, J. P. (2016). Hyporesponsiveness to the anti-inflammatory action of interleukin-10 in type 2 diabetes. Scientific reports, 6, 21244. doi: 10.1038/srep21244

Estaki, M., Pither, J., Baumeister, P., Little, J. P., Gill, S. K., Ghosh, S., ... & Gibson, D. L. (2016). Cardiorespiratory fitness as a predictor of intestinal microbial diversity and distinct metagenomic functions. Microbiome, 4(1), 42. doi: 10.1186/s40168-016-0189-7

Granata, C., Oliveira, R. S., Little, J. P., Renner, K., & Bishop, D. J. (2016). Mitochondrial adaptations to high-volume exercise training are rapidly reversed after a reduction in training volume in human skeletal muscle. The FASEB Journal, 30(10), 3413-3423. doi: 10.1096/fj.201500100R

Alarcon, C., Boland, B. B., Uchizono, Y., Moore, P. C., Peterson, B., Rajan, S., ... & Marsh, B. J. (2016). Pancreatic β-cell adaptive plasticity in obesity increases insulin production but adversely affects secretory function. Diabetes, 65(2), 438-450. doi: 10.2337/db16-0492

Bailey, K. J., Little, J. P., & Jung, M. E. (2016). Self-monitoring using continuous glucose monitors with real-time feedback improves exercise adherence in individuals with impaired blood glucose: a pilot study. Diabetes technology & therapeutics, 18(3), 185-193. doi: 10.1089/dia.2015.0285

Francois, M. E., Durrer, C., Pistawka, K. J., Halperin, F. A., & Little, J. P. (2016). Resistance-based interval exercise acutely improves endothelial function in type 2 diabetes. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 311(5), H1258-H1267. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00398.2016

Eaton, M., Granata, C., Barry, J., Safdar, A., Bishop, D., & Little, J. P. (2017). Impact of a single bout of high-intensity interval exercise and short-term interval training on interleukin-6, FNDC5, and METRNL mRNA expression in human skeletal muscle. Journal of Sport and Health Science. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2017.01.003

Martinez, N., Kilpatrick, M. W., Salomon, K., Jung, M. E., & Little, J. P. (2015). Affective and enjoyment responses to high-intensity interval training in overweight-to-obese and insufficiently active adults. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 37(2), 138-149. doi: 10.1123/jsep.2014-0212

Jung, M. E., Bourne, J. E., Beauchamp, M. R., Robinson, E., & Little, J. P. (2015). High-intensity interval training as an efficacious alternative to moderate-intensity continuous training for adults with prediabetes. Journal of diabetes research, 2015. doi: 10.1155/2015/191595

Kilpatrick, M. W., Martinez, N., Little, J. P., Jung, M. E., Jones, A. M., Price, N. W., & Lende, D. H. (2015). Impact of high-intensity interval duration on perceived exertion. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 47(5), 1038-1045. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000495

Robinson, E., Durrer, C., Simtchouk, S., Jung, M. E., Bourne, J. E., Voth, E., & Little, J. P. (2015). Short-term high-intensity interval and moderate-intensity continuous training reduce leukocyte TLR4 in inactive adults at elevated risk of type 2 diabetes. Journal of Applied Physiology, 119(5), 508-516. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00334.2015

Durrer, C., Robinson, E., Wan, Z., Martinez, N., Hummel, M. L., Jenkins, N. T., ... & Little, J. P. (2015). Differential impact of acute high-intensity exercise on circulating endothelial microparticles and insulin resistance between overweight/obese males and females. PloS one, 10(2), e0115860. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115860

Francois, M. E., & Little, J. P. (2015). Effectiveness and safety of high-intensity interval training in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Spectrum, 28(1), 39-44. doi: 10.2337/diaspect.28.1.39

Wan, Z., Mah, D., Simtchouk, S., Kluftinger, A., & Little, J. P. (2015). Human adipose tissue conditioned media from lean subjects is protective against H2O2 induced neurotoxicity in human SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. International journal of molecular sciences, 16(1), 1221-1231. doi: 10.3390/ijms16011221

J Spielman, L., Bahniwal, M., P Little, J., G Walker, D., & Klegeris, A. (2015). Insulin modulates In vitro secretion of cytokines and cytotoxins by human glial cells. Current Alzheimer Research, 12(7), 684-693.

MacPherson, R. E., Baumeister, P., Peppler, W. T., Wright, D. C., & Little, J. P. (2015). Reduced cortical BACE1 content with one bout of exercise is accompanied by declines in AMPK, Akt, and MAPK signaling in obese, glucose-intolerant mice. Journal of Applied Physiology, 119(10), 1097-1104. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00299.2015 

Little, J.P., Safdar, A. (2015). Adipose-brain crosstalk: do adipokines have a role in neuroprotection? Neural Regen Res. Sep;10(9):1381-2. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.165222

Wan, Z., Mah, D., Simtchouk, S., Kluftinger, A., & Little, J. P. (2015). Role of amyloid β in the induction of lipolysis and secretion of adipokines from human adipose tissue. Adipocyte, 4(3), 212-216. doi: 10.4161/21623945.2014.985020

Spielman, L. J., Little, J. P., & Klegeris, A. (2014). Inflammation and insulin/IGF-1 resistance as the possible link between obesity and neurodegeneration. Journal of neuroimmunology, 273(1), 8-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2014.06.004

Jung, M. E., Bourne, J. E., & Little, J. P. (2014). Where does HIT fit? An examination of the affective response to high-intensity intervals in comparison to continuous moderate-and continuous vigorous-intensity exercise in the exercise intensity-affect continuum. PLoS One, 9(12), e114541. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114541

​Little, J. P., Jung, M. E., Wright, A. E., Wright, W., & Manders, R. J. (2014). Effects of high-intensity interval exercise versus continuous moderate-intensity exercise on postprandial glycemic control assessed by continuous glucose monitoring in obese adults. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 39(7), 835-841. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2013-0512

Cochran, A. J., Percival, M. E., Tricarico, S., Little, J. P., Cermak, N., Gillen, J. B., ... & Gibala, M. J. (2014). Intermittent and continuous high‐intensity exercise training induce similar acute but different chronic muscle adaptations. Experimental physiology, 99(5), 782-791. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.2013.077453

Little, J. P., Simtchouk, S., Schindler, S. M., Villanueva, E. B., Gill, N. E., Walker, D. G., ... & Klegeris, A. (2014). Mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) is a pro-inflammatory extracellular signaling molecule recognized by brain microglia. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, 60, 88-96. doi: 10.1016/j.mcn.2014.04.003

Wan, Z., Mah, D., Simtchouk, S., Klegeris, A., & Little, J. P. (2014). Globular adiponectin induces a pro-inflammatory response in human astrocytic cells. Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 446(1), 37-42. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.02.077

Schindler, S. M., Little, J. P., & Klegeris, A. (2014). Microparticles: a new perspective in central nervous system disorders. BioMed research international, 2014. doi: 10.1155/2014/756327

Hashioka, S., Wang, Y. F., Little, J. P., Choi, H. B., Klegeris, A., McGeer, P. L., & McLarnon, J. G. (2014). Purinergic responses of calcium-dependent signaling pathways in cultured adult human astrocytes. BMC neuroscience, 15(1), 18. doi: 10.1186/1471-2202-15-18

Little, J. P., & Francois, M. E. (2014). High-intensity interval training for improving postprandial hyperglycemia. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 85(4), 451-456. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2014.963474

Kilpatrick, M. W., Jung, M. E., & Little, J. P. (2014). High-intensity interval training: a review of physiological and psychological responses. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 18(5), 11-16. doi: 10.1249/FIT.0000000000000067

Wan, Z., Durrer, C., Mah, D., Simtchouk, S., & Little, J. P. (2014). One-week high-fat diet leads to reduced toll-like receptor 2 expression and function in young healthy men. Nutrition Research, 34(12), 1045-1051. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2014.08.012

Wan, Z., Durrer, C., Mah, D., Simtchouk, S., Robinson, E., & Little, J. P. (2014). Reduction of AMPK activity and altered MAPKs signalling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to acute glucose ingestion following a short-term high fat diet in young healthy men. Metabolism, 63(9), 1209-1216. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2014.06.007

Wan, Z., & Little, J. P. (2014). Adiponectin and Alzheimer's disease: Is there a link?. Inflammation and Cell Signaling, 1(2).

Little, J. P., & Francois, M. E. (2014). High-intensity interval training for improving postprandial hyperglycemia. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 85(4), 451-456. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2014.963474

​​​​Little, J.P., Simtchouk, S., Villanueva, E.B., Gill, N.E., Walker, D.G., Wolthers, K.R., Klegeris, A. (2014). Mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) is a pro-inflammatory extracellular signaling molecule recognized by brain microglia. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. 60:88-96. doi: 10.1016/j.mcn.2014.04.003.  

Last reviewed shim9/14/2017 11:38:41 AM

Contact

Jonathan Little
Assistant Professor
School of Health and Exercise Sciences
Faculty of Health and Social Development
UBC Okanagan
1088 Discovery Avenue RHS 122
Kelowna  BC  V1V 1V7

Tel:  250-807-9876
email:  jonathan.little@ubc.ca

web:  https://hes.ok.ubc.ca/person/jonathan-little-2/

web:  https://ourstories.ok.ubc.ca/stories/jonathan-little/

Jonathan Little