Rate My Professor Matt Heesch

Dr. Matt Heesch, Ph.D., ACSM-EP, serves as an assistant professor of exercise and sport sciences in the School of Health Professions at Augustana University, having joined the faculty in August 2022. He earned his Ph.D. in Exercise Science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2015, with a concentration in Physiology of Exercise, an M.S. in Exercise Science from the same university in 2012, and a B.A. in Exercise Science and Biology from Augustana College in 2010. Prior to his current role, Heesch was an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he also completed his graduate studies and served as a research assistant. As an alumnus of Augustana, he brings a deep connection to the institution, complemented by his certification as an Exercise Physiologist from the American College of Sports Medicine.

Heesch teaches a range of courses in exercise and sport sciences, including Physiology of Exercise, Current Topics in Exercise Science, Motor Development, and Nutrition. His research specializes in elucidating the body's responses to exercise stimuli at the cellular and molecular levels, investigating how exercise improves athletic performance and functions as a therapeutic modality for chronic pathologies. Additionally, he explores innovative strategies to enhance anti-doping efforts for fair athletic competition. Heesch has contributed to the academic literature with publications such as 'Transcriptional control, but not sub-cellular location, of PGC-1α is altered following exercise in a hot environment' (2016), 'Effects of post-exercise recovery in a cold environment on muscle glycogen, PGC-1α, and downstream transcription factors' (2013), 'Human Skeletal Muscle mRNA Response to a Single Hypoxic Exercise Bout' (2014), 'Running Performance, Pace Strategy, and Thermoregulation Differ Between a Treadmill and Indoor Track' (2014), and 'Exercise-Induced Interleukin-6 and Metabolic Responses in Hot, Temperate, and Cold Conditions' (2017). His scholarly output includes 26 publications with over 340 citations.