Kenneth Kambis

Areas of Specialization

• Altitude Physiology
• Nutrition
• Environmental Physiology

Background

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Prof. Kambis attended Catawba College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his Masters and Ph.D. from UNC-CH where he remained as an Assistant Professor to teach Exercise Physiology, Anatomy, Kinesiology, and Sports Medicine as well as Co-Direct the Fatigue Laboratory.

Prof. Kambis moved to the University of California, Santa Barbara where he taught Exercise Physiology and Co-Directed the Wellness and Fitness Institute. Prof. Kambis eventually accepted a position at The College of William and Mary to teach Exercise Physiology, Environmental Human Physiology, and Science of Nutrition. Summer sessions of 1990 - 1992 were spent as a Research Associate in the Environmental Stress Institute under the direction of Dr. Steven M. Horvath, University of California, Santa Barbara. In 1996, Prof. Kambis was appointed Director of The Borgenicht Program for Aging Studies and Exercise Science, a research program generously funded by Jack and Fran Borgenicht of Long Valley, NJ.

Prof. Kambis’ primary research is in altitude physiology. He has worked extensively with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine at both their Natick, MA laboratories as well as at the USARIEM Pikes Peak High Altitude Research Facility. In 2006, Prof. Kambis was promoted to full professor. He is co-director of the Borgenicht Hypoxia Laboratory.

Education

• Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• M.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• A.B., Catawba College

Courses Taught

• Science of Nutrition (KINE 350) 
• Nutrition and the Brain: Psychology of Eating and Drinking (KINE352) 
• Nutrition in Health & Disease (KINE 354) (Online Summer & on campus semester) 
• Public Health Nutrition: Concepts & Controversies (KINE 356) (Online Summer)
• Physiology of Exercise (KINE 492)
• Environmental Human Physiology (KINE 494)
• Issues in Health (KINE 497)
• Independent Study in Kinesiology (KINE 470)
• Research in Kinesiology (KINE 480)

Research

• Kambis, M. Yasukawa, A. Degarmo, L. Quiroga, V. Barbour, S. Muza, R. Looft-Wilson. (April, 2017) Effect of Normobaric Hypoxia Simulating 3,500 m on SpO₂ and Workload in Women During Exercise at 65% VO_2Peak. FASEB Journal.
• Yasukawa, A. Degarmo, L. Quiroga, S. Muza, K. Kambis. (April 2018) Predicting P_ETCO₂ in Women at Sea-Level and Upon Acute Exposure to a Normobaric Hypoxic Environment Simulating 3,500 m. FASEB Journal.

• Ken Kambis¹, Michio Yasukawa³, Thomas Moran², Austen Pleasant¹, Gabriella Hafner¹, Veronique Barbour¹, Courtney Duckworth¹, Stephen Muza⁴, Robin Looft-Wilson¹. (April 2016) P_ETCO₂ In Women at Sea-Level and Upon Acute Exposure to Normobaric Hypoxic Environments Simulating 3,500 m. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

• Kambis, K., Yasukawa, M., Moran, T., Hafner, G., Lautzenheiser, K., Duckworth, C., Muggleworth, A., Barbour, V., Brophy, D., Pleasant, A., Lautzenheiser, L., and Volk, A. (2014) PetCO2 and SpO2 gender differences upon acute exposure to normobaric hypoxic environments simulating 3500 M. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 46:5 Suppl.

• Ken Kambis and Michio Yasukawa (2013) 13-16d NIHE May Improve SaO₂ in Older Adults during Hypobaric Hypoxia on Mount Kilimanjaro. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.  

• Ken Kambis, Michio Yasukawa, Thomas Moran and Bart Sobel (2012). Thirteen days of Normobaric Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure increases SpO₂ in a 71-year-old Male. FASEB Journal.

• Ken Kambis, Michio Yasukawa, Reina Chamberlain, Erica Jackson, Alastair Connell (2009) Normbaric hypoxic pre-acclimation and ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro by a 69.5-year-old man: A case study. Medicine Science in Sports & Exercise, Vol. 45:5, S212.

• Fulco, C.S., Zupan, M., Muza, S.R., Rock, P.B., Kambis, K., Payn, T., Hannon, M., Glickman, E., and Cymerman, A. (2007). Carbohydrate supplementation and endurance performance of moderate altitude residents at 4300 m. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 28(5):437-43.
• Fulco, C.S., Kambis, K.W., Friedlander, A.L., Rock, P.B., Muza, S.R., and Cymerman, A. (2005). Carbohydrate supplementation improves time-trial cycle performance during energy deficit at 4300 m altitude. Journal of Applied Physiology. 99: 867-876.
• Kambis, K.W., and Pizzedaz, S.K., (2003). Short-term creatine supplementation improves quadriceps function in women. International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism. 13: 87-96.

• Kambis, K.W., McQuaid, D.B., MacDonald, J.R., Griffin, E., Muza, S.R., Rock, P.B., Cymerman, A., Friedlander, A.L., and Fulco, C.S. (2001). Caloric deficit affects mood state at high altitude. High Altitude Medicine & Biology. 2(1): 103. ABSTRACT

• Kambis, K.W., McQuaid, D.B., MacDonald, J.R., Griffin, E., Muza, S.R., Rock, P.B., Cymerman, A., Friedlander, A.L., and Fulco, C.S. (2001). Interaction of high altitude and caloric deficit on mood state. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 33(5). S291. ABSTRACT

• Kambis, K.W., Rock, P.B., Butterfield, G.E., Muza, S.R., Cymerman, A., Fulco, C.S., and Moore, L.G. (2000). Alpha-adrenergic blockade affects mood state during altitude acclimatization. Medicine & Science in Sports & Medicine. 32(5): S48 ABSTRACT

• Kambis. K.W. (1999) Older adults at altitude. In Taylor, A.W., Ecclestone, N., Paterson, D.H., and Jones, G. (Eds.) Activity for older adults: From research to action. Double Q publishers, London, Ontario, Canada, p. 278-293.

Fellowships and Grants

External Grants 

• 2012 – present: The Morton/Brown Endowment for Bio-medical Research. $10,000 annually in support of hypoxia research.

• 2013-2018: Doug Morton and Marilyn Brown research support. $125,000.
• Jeffress Memorial Trust Research Grant to study “The effect of carbohydrate ingestion on mood state during endurance work performance at moderate andhigh altitude”. July 1, 2004 – June 30, 2006. $30,000.00
• Private Research Grant to study “The effect of carbohydrate supplementation on mood state of moderate altitude residents during endurance exercise at high altitude – Year 2”.  May 1, 2005 – April 30, 2006. $10,800.00
• Private Research Grant to study “The effect of carbohydrate supplementation on mood state of moderate altitude residents during endurance exercise at high altitude”.  May 1, 2004 – April 30, 2005.  $10,800.00
• Private Research Grant to study “Carbohydrate supplementation alters mood during exhaustive exercise”.  June 1, 2003 – May 31, 2004. $10,471.00.
• Jeffress Memorial Trust Research Grant to study "Mood state at high altitude”. July 1, 2000 – June 30, 2003. $30,757.00
• Private Research Grant to study "The effects of caloric restriction on mood state at sea level and high altitude". July 1, 2002 - June 30, 2003. $10,751.00

Service

College Committees 

• Procedural Review Committee
• Calendar Committee
• Faculty Assembly

Honors, Prizes, and Awards

• 2019 SSRL to study Nutrition and the Brain at the University of California, Santa Barbara Neuroscience Research Institute.

• 2014-15 SSRL to study Individual Variability Upon Acute Exposure to a Normobaric Hypoxic Environment Simulating a Physiologic Altitude Equivalent to 3,500 Meters in conjunction with Dr. Michio Yasukawa, visiting research professor from Chou University, Tokyo, Japan.

• 1997: Virginia College/University Physical Educator of the Year
• 1998: VAHPERD Research Award
• 2003: Kinesiology Majors Advising Award
• 1998-1999: Faculty Research Assignment Award to study “The affect of alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade on mood state during acclimatization to altitude” at the Pikes Peak Laboratory Research Facility, Colorado Springs, CO. and the Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division of the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA. and as Guest Investigator at the Sansum Medical Research Institute, Santa Barbara, CA, Dr. Steven M. Horvath, Supervisor.