The Vechetti Lab focuses on understanding the complex mechanisms governing skeletal muscle regulation across various physiological and pathological conditions.
Our research encompasses four primary areas:
- miRNAs and metabolism: Investigating how miRNAs and metabolic pathways affect muscle mass, function, and aging.
- Muscle Atrophy: Exploring the mechanisms governing skeletal muscle mass, including disuse-induced atrophy, sarcopenia, and cachexia.
- Hibernation: Utilizing natural hibernating animals, we investigate the effects of long-term of muscle disuse and obesity during torpid periods.
- Extracellular vesicles: The laboratory also explores muscle-derived extracellular vesicles.
Through this multifaceted approach, the Vechetti Laboratory aims to advance our understanding of skeletal muscle biology and potentially develop new therapeutic strategies for muscle-related disorders.
Lab Members
Ivan Vechetti
Assistant Professor
ivechetti@unl.edu
Bio
Vitor Labegaline
UCARE Student Worker
vlombardilabegalin2@huskers.unl.edu
Vitor is a junior studying microbiology and Spanish as an undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska. He joined the Vechetti Lab as an undergraduate volunteer in the Fall of 2024.
Karam Omari
Undergraduate Student
komari2@unl.edu
After graduating from UNL with degrees in Biology and Psychology, Karam joined the Vechetti Lab in October 2025 to gain research experience prior to applying for graduate school.
Mercedes Renken
UCARE Student Worker
mrenken2@huskers.unl.edu
Majoring in Biological Sciences with a Human Health and Disease focus and minoring in Biochemistry, Mercedes joined the Vechetti Lab in August 2024 and began her UCARE fellowship in May 2025.
Saifuddin Mohammad Seeam
PhD Student
sseeam2@huskers.unl.edu
Seeam joined the Vechetti Lab in Fall 2025 as a Ph.D. student in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition. He earned his Master of Pharmacy in Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology and Bachelor of Pharmacy from Noakhali Science and Technology University in Bangladesh. His current research targets MG53 to improve mitochondrial function and prevent skeletal muscle atrophy.
Clay Weidenhamer
Postdoctoral Associate
cweidenhamer2@unl.edu
Clay joined the Vechetti Lab in January 2026 after earning his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he studied the molecular memory of exercise in skeletal muscle. His current research explores mechanisms involved in skeletal muscle hypertrophy and atrophy. Outside the lab, he enjoys strength training and the highland games.
Allison Woodard
Undergraduate Student
awoodard4@huskers.unl.edu
Allison is an undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in Biology and Spanish, with a minor in computer science. She began her work with the Vechetti Lab in the Spring of 2025.
Former Lab Members
| Shengyi Fei Shengyi graduated with a master's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2023. He is now embarking on a new and exciting journey towards a Ph.D. in the biomedical field at the Molecular & Cellular Biology department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |
| Filipe Guimaraes Goulart UCARE Student Worker & Undergraduate Research Volunteer, Fall 2021-Fall 2023 |
| Sam Jackson Sam is a senior majoring in Biology at the University of Nebraska. He joined the Vechetti Lab in Fall 2025 and will begin medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in August 2026. |
| Tesha Kerr Tesha graduated with a master's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May 2023 and plans to continue working in the research field. |
| Mariah McCashland After attending UCLA where she earned a bachelor's degree in neuroscience, Mariah completed her master's degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in biochemical and molecular nutrition. After graduating in December 2022, she continued working with the Vechetti Lab as a research assistant until starting medical school at the UNMC College of Medicine in the Fall of 2024. |
| Rani Qaqish Rani joined the Vechetti Lab in Summer of 2023 and graduated with a B.S in Biochemistry in December 2024. He is currently involved in research with varying focuses, student teaching, and clinical work with the goal of pursuing Medical School. |
| Blake Rule Blake graduated in May 2021 with a bachelor's degree in nutrition science and a minor in business administration. He continued a non-degree seeking post baccalaureate in Fall of 2021 and Spring 2022 and is now pursuing a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. |
| Raechel Sherrick A graduate of Truman State University with a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science, Raechel earned her master's degree at the University of Nebraska and is currently working in industry research.
|
| Luiza Zambelli Luiza graduated in May 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition sciences. She joined the Vechetti Lab during the summer of 2023 as part |
Selected Publications
2026
- Omoto ACM, Vechetti IJ, Carmo JM, Wang Z, Mouton AJ, Dai X, Ladnier EC, Zenun SC, Tosta OES, Romeiro L, Hamby M, Li X, Spitz R, Richards AM, Johns CH, Goergen CJ, Silva AA, Hall JA. Leptin Activates Brain–BAT–Heart Crosstalk to Promote Cardiac Protection. Circulation Research, 2026
2025
- Carpenter TK, McCashland M, Sherrick R, Natarajan SK, Mandic M, Kachman SD, Walden FV, Vechetti IJ, Fernandez-Gonzalo R. The Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on the Lipid Profile of Extracellular Vesicles. Eur J Appl Physiol., October 2025. doi: 10.1007/s00421-025-05973-1
- Fei S, Rule BD, Godwin JS, Mobley CB, Roberts MD, Walden FV, Vechetti IJ. miRNA‐1 regulation is necessary for mechanical overload‐induced muscle hypertrophy in male mice. Physiol Rep., January 2025. doi:10.14814/phy2.70166
2024
- Burke BBI, Ismaeel A, Long DE, Depa LA, Coburn PT, Goh J, Saliu TP, Walton BJ, Vechetti IJ, Valentino TR, Mobley CB, Memetimin H, Wang D, Finlin BS, Kern PA, Peterson CA, McCarthy JJ, Wen Y. Extracellular vesicle transfer of miR-1 to adipose tissue modifies lipolytic pathways following resistance exercise. JCI Insight, November 2024. doi:10.1172/jci.insight.182589
- Lovett JAC, McColl RS, Durcan P, Vechetti IJ, Myburgh KH. Analysis of plasma-derived small extracellular vesicle characteristics and microRNA cargo following exercise-induced skeletal muscle damage in men. Physiol Rep., September 2024. doi:10.14814/phy2.70056
2023
- Wen Y, Vechetti IJ, Alimov AP, Valentino T, Hoffman JF, Vergara VB, Kalinich JF, Zhang XD, McCarthy JJ, and Peterson CA. Early transcriptomic signatures and biomarkers of renal damage due to prolonged exposure to embedded metal. Cell Biol Toxicol., December 2023. doi:10.1007/s10565-023-09806-9
- Mattingly ML, Ruple B, Sexton CL, Godwin J, Mcintosh MC, Smith MA, Plotkin DL, Michel JM, Anglin DA, Kontos NJ, Fei S, Phillips S, Mobley CB, Vechetti IJ, Vann C and Roberts MD. Resistance training in humans and mechanical overload in rodents do not elevate muscle protein lactylation. Front Physiol., September 2023. doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1281702
2022
- Vechetti IJ, Norrbom J, Alkner B, Hjalmarsson E, Palmcrantz A, Pontén E, Pingel J, von Walden F, Fernandez-Gonzalo R. Extracellular vesicle characteristics and microRNA content in cerebral palsy and typically developed individuals at rest and in response to aerobic exercise. Front Physiol., December 2022. doi:10.3389/fphys.2022.1072040
- Murach KA, Liu Z, Jude B, Casagrande-Figueiredo V, Wen Y, Khadgi S, Lim S, Silva FM, Greene NP, Lanner J, Peterson CA, McCarthy JJ, Vechetti IJ*, Walden FV*. Multi-transcriptome analysis following an acute skeletal muscle growth stimulus yields tools for discerning global and MYC regulatory networks. J Biol Chem., November 2022. doi:10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102515
- Wackerhage H, Vechetti IJ, Baumert P, Gehlert S, Becker L, Jaspers RT, Angelis MH. Does a hypertrophying muscle fibre reprogram its metabolism similar to a cancer cell? Sports Med. April 2022. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01676-1
2021
- Valentino TR, Figueiredo VC, Mobley CB, McCarthy JJ, Vechetti IJ Jr. Evidence of myomiR regulation of the pentose phosphate pathway during mechanical load induced hypertrophy. Physiol Rep., December 2021. doi:10.14814/phy2.15137
- Vechetti IJ Jr*, Wen Y*, Hoffman JF, Alimov AP, Vergara VB, Kalinich JF, Gaitens JM, Hines SE, McDiarmid MA, McCarthy JJ & Peterson CA. Urine miRNAs as potential biomarkers for systemic reactions induced by exposure to embedded metal. Biomark Med., October 2021. doi:10.2217/bmm-2021-0120
- Valentino TR, Rule BD, Mobley CB, Nikolova-Karakashian M, Vechetti IJ. Skeletal Muscle Cell Growth Alters the Lipid Composition of Extracellular Vesicles. Membranes (Basel), August 2021. doi:10.3390/membranes11080619
- Vechetti IJ Jr, Peck BD, Wen Y, Walton RG, Alimov AP, Valentino TR, Dungan CM, Van Pelt DW, von Walden F, Alkner B, Peterson CA and McCarthy JJ. Mechanical overload-induced muscle-derived extracellular vesicles promote adipose lipolysis. FASEB J., June 2021. doi:10.1096/fj.202100242R
2020
- Wen Y, Vechetti IJ Jr, Alimov AP, Hoffman IF, Vergara VB, Kalinich IF, McCarthy JJ, and Peterson CA. Time-course analysis of the effect of embedded metal on skeletal muscle gene expression. Physiol Genomics, December 2020. doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00096.2020
- Wen Y, Vechetti IJ Jr, Valentino TR, McCarthy JJ. High-Yield Skeletal Muscle Protein Recovery from TRIzol® after RNA and DNA Extraction. BioTechniques, October 2020. doi:10.2144/btn-2020-0083