Forrest Lee Baker

Interests

Research

Exercise Immunology, Cancer Immunotherapy, Pediatric Oncology, Gamma-Delta T-cells, Exercise Physiology, and Athlete Health

Teaching

Exercise Physiology

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Chapters

• Baker, F. L. (2018). Aging Immunity and the Impact of Physical Exercise. In Handbook of Immunosenescence: Basic Understanding and Clinical Implications.

Journals/Publications

• Batatinha, H., Batatinha, H., Simpson, R., Diak, D., Diak, D., Katsanis, E., Niemiro, G., Niemiro, G., Gustafson, M., LaVoy, E., Baker, F. L., Baker, F. L., Lau, B., Smith, K. A., Smith, K. A., Seckeler, M., Zuniga, T. M., Zuniga, T. M., Zuniga, T. M., , Seckeler, M., et al. (2023). Human lymphocytes mobilized with exercise have an anti-tumor transcriptomic profile and exert enhanced graft-versus-leukemia effects in xenogeneic mice. Frontiers in Immunology.
• Simpson, R., Baker, F. L., Katsanis, E., Zuniga, T. M., Burgess, S. C., Smith, K. A., Batatinha, H., Seckeler, M., Kulangara, T., Kulangara, T., Batatinha, H., Seckeler, M., Smith, K. A., Burgess, S. C., Zuniga, T. M., Katsanis, E., Baker, F. L., & Simpson, R. (2023). Exercise mobilizes diverse antigen specific T-cells and elevates neutralizing antibodies in humans with natural immunity to SARS CoV-2. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity – Health.
• Smith, K. A., Zúñiga, T. M., Baker, F. L., Batatinha, H., Pedlar, C. R., Burgess, S. C., Gustafson, M. P., Katsanis, E., & Simpson, R. J. (2023). COVID-19 vaccination produces exercise-responsive SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cells regardless of infection history. Journal of sport and health science.
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  The mobilization and redistribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific T-cells and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) during exercise is purported to increase immune surveillance and protect against severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We sought to determine if COVID-19 vaccination would elicit exercise-responsive SARS-CoV-2 T-cells and transiently alter nAb titers.
• Zuniga, T. M., Simpson, R., Katsanis, E., Baker, F. L., Lau, B., Gustafson, M. P., Gustafson, M. P., Lau, B., Baker, F. L., Katsanis, E., Zuniga, T. M., & Simpson, R. (2023). Clonal kinetics and single-cell transcriptional profiles of T-cells mobilized to blood by acute exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
• Baker, F. L., Mylabathula, P. L., Diak, D. M., Niemiro, G. M., Markofski, M. M., Crucian, B. E., Katsanis, E., & Simpson, R. J. (2022). IL-2 and zoledronic acid therapy restores the in vivo anti-leukemic activity of human lymphocytes pre-exposed to simulated microgravity. Frontiers in Biosciences - Landmark. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1374348/v1
• Zúñiga, T. M., Baker, F. L., Smith, K. A., Batatinha, H., Lau, B., Gustafson, M. P., Katsanis, E., & Simpson, R. J. (2022). Acute exercise mobilizes NKT-like cells with a cytotoxic transcriptomic profile but does not augment the potency of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells. Frontiers in immunology, 13, 938106.
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  CD3/CD56 Natural killer (NK) cell-like T-cells (NKT-like cells) represent
• Baker, F. L. (2021). Acute exercise increases immune responses to SARS CoV-2 in a previously infected man. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health.
• Baker, F. L. (2021). Exercise to Support Optimal Immune Function. ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal.
• Baker, F. L. (2021). Mental health, physical symptoms and biomarkers of stress during prolonged exposure to Antarctica's extreme environment. Acta Astronautica.
• Baker, F. L. (2021). Regulatory Dendritic Cells Induced by Bendamustine Are Associated With Enhanced Flt3 Expression and Alloreactive T-Cell Death. Frontiers in Immunology.
• Baker, F. L. (2021). The effects of normoxic endurance exercise on erythropoietin (EPO) production and the impact of selective β1 and non-selective β1 + β2 adrenergic receptor blockade. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
• Baker, F. L. (2021). The impact of high-intensity interval exercise training on NK-cell function and circulating myokines for breast cancer prevention among women at high risk for breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
• Baker, F. L. (2022). Recent COVID-19 vaccination has minimal effects on the physiological responses to graded exercise in physically active healthy people. Journal of Applied Physiology.
  More info

  Athletes are advised to receive the COVID-19 vaccination to protect them from SARS CoV-2 infection during major competitions. Despite this, many athletes are reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to concerns that symptoms of vaccinosis may impair athletic performance. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on the physiological responses to graded exercise. METHODS: Healthy physically active participants completed a 20-minute bout of graded cycling exercise at intensities corresponding to 50, 60, 70 and 80% of the pre-determined V̇O2max before and ~21 days after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine (2 dose Pfizer mRNA or 1 dose Johnson&Johnson). RESULTS: Vaccination had no effect on a large number of physiological responses to exercise measured in blood (e.g. lactate, epinephrine, cortisol) and by respiratory gas exchange (e.g. oxygen uptake, CO2 production, ventilation, respiratory exchange ratio, predicted V̇O2max, ventilatory threshold) (p>0.05). We did, however, find significant elevations in heart rate (~5 bpm) and norepinephrine (p = 0.006 and 0.04, respectively) in response to vigorous (e.g. 70-80% V̇O2max) intensity exercise after vaccination, particularly in those that received the two shot Pfizer mRNA vaccine regimen. These findings held true when compared to demographically matched controls who completed identical bouts of exercise several weeks apart without receiving a vaccine. CONCLUSION: Recent COVID-19 vaccination has minimal effects on the physiological responses to graded exercise in physically active healthy people. The small elevations in cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses to exercise after the Pfizer mRNA vaccine regimen could have implications for athletes at the elite level and warrants investigation.
• Baker, F. L., Niemiro, G. M., Coletta, A. M., Agha, N. H., Mylabathula, P. L., Brewster, A. M., Bevers, T. B., Fuentes-Mattei, E., Basen-Engquist, K., Katsanis, E., Gilchrist, S. C., & Simpson, R. (2022). Salutary effects of moderate but not high intensity aerobic exercise training on the frequency of peripheral T-cells associated with immunosenescence in older women at high risk of breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Immunity & Ageing. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-845373/v1
• Baker, F. L. (2020). Salivary antimicrobial proteins and stress biomarkers are elevated during a 6-month mission to the International Space Station. Journal of Applied Physiology.
• Baker, F. L. (2020). Systemic β-Adrenergic Receptor Activation Augments the ex vivo Expansion and Anti-Tumor Activity of Vγ9Vδ2 T-Cells. Frontiers in Immunology.
• Baker, F. L. (2020). The effects of β1 and β1+2 adrenergic receptor blockade on the exercise-induced mobilization and ex vivo expansion of virus-specific T cells: implications for cellular therapy and the anti-viral immune effects of exercise. Cell Stress and Chaperones.
• Baker, F. L. (2019). NK cell function is impaired during long-duration spaceflight. Journal of Applied Physiology.
• Baker, F. L. (2018). Cytomegalovirus: an unlikely ally in the fight against blood cancers?. Clinical and Experimental Immunology.
• Baker, F. L. (2018). Relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness and markers of senescence and exhaustion in peripheral blood CD8+ T-cells and NK-cells. Annals of Research in Sport and Physical Activity.
• Baker, F. L. (2018). Vigorous exercise mobilizes CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells to peripheral blood via the β 2 -adrenergic receptor. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
• Baker, F. L. (2018). β2-Adrenergic receptor signaling mediates the preferential mobilization of differentiated subsets of CD8+ T-cells, NK-cells and non-classical monocytes in response to acute exercise in humans. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.