Matthew D. Barberio
Matthew D. Barberio
Ph.D., FACSM
Assistant Professor
Interim Vice Chair for Academics
Director BS Exercise Science
School: Milken Institute School of Public Health
Department: Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
Contact:
Email:
Matthew D. Barberio
Office Phone:
202-994-1408
800 22nd St NW, Office 7830
Dr. Matthew Barberio is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the Milken Institute School of Public Health and the Interim Vice Chair for Academics. He joined the Milken Institute School of Public Health as a Professorial Lecturer in Spring 2014 and transitioned to a Assistant Professor position in July 2018. Dr. Barberio earned his PhD in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Physiology from Auburn University in May 2013. He subsequently completed postdoctoral training in the Center for Genetic Medicine Research at Children’s National, where his work was supported by an NIH NRSA T32 Training Fellowship (Genomics of Skeletal Muscle) and an individual American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship. At GWU, Dr. Barberio teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in metabolism, laboratory methods in human physiology, and research methods. He directs the BS Exercise Science program, the departmental honors program,and has mentored numerous award-winning undergraduate and graduate researchers, with a strong emphasis on integrating students into hands-on, translational research experiences.
Dr. Matthew Barberio is an exercise physiologist and translational human physiologist whose research bridges molecular mechanisms and population health to understand the drivers of metabolic dysfunction, obesity, and cardiometabolic disease risk. His work focuses on postprandial metabolism, metabolic flexibility, skeletal muscle mitochondrial function, and the role of metabolomic biomarkers in both disease prediction and prevention.
Dr. Barberio currently serves as Principal Investigator on several studies evaluating human metabolism. Furthermore, he is a Co-Investigator on multiple NIH- and foundation-funded projects, including the SWEETPEA trial, which investigates the impact of non-nutritive sweetener consumption during pregnancy and lactation on maternal and infant health outcomes, and a large-scale effort to understand the molecular links between obesity, metabolic dysregulation, and cancer risk (MeDOC consortium).
Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance – Fairmont State University (2008)
Masters of Education in Kinesiology – Auburn University (2009)
Doctor of Philosophy in Exercise Physiology – Auburn University (2013)
EXNS 1103 - Prof Found in Exercise Science
EXNS 3111W – Exercise & Nutrition Science Research Methods
EXNS 3995 - Undergrad Research
EXNS 4199 - Advanced Topics in EXNS
EXNS 6810 - Advanced Metabolism
EXNS 8108 - Lab Tech in Human Physiology
Current Research Projects:
- Postprandial Metabolic Flexibility and Plasma Metabolomic Profiles as Biomarkers of Metabolic Unhealthy Obesity
- Main Objective: To develop biomarkers associated metabolically unhealthy obesity through analysis of postprandial plasma metabolomic response in metabolically unhealthy young adults with overweight and obesity and assess the predictive capacity of these biomarkers for long-term weight-gain.
- Main Objective: To develop biomarkers associated metabolically unhealthy obesity through analysis of postprandial plasma metabolomic response in metabolically unhealthy young adults with overweight and obesity and assess the predictive capacity of these biomarkers for long-term weight-gain.
- Effect of caloric content and timing of meal on postprandial metabolic flexibility
- Main objective: To determine the effect of caloric content and timing of a meal on measures of postprandial metabolic flexibility (substrate oxidation changes) and cardiovascular (pulse wave analysis and pulse wave velocity) to mixed meal feeding challenges.
- Main objective: To determine the effect of caloric content and timing of a meal on measures of postprandial metabolic flexibility (substrate oxidation changes) and cardiovascular (pulse wave analysis and pulse wave velocity) to mixed meal feeding challenges.
- Effects of a non-nutritive sweetener reduction intervention in pregnancy and lactation on maternal and infant outcomes (the SWEETPEA trial)
- Main Objective: To determine whether non-nutritive sweetener consumption during pregnancy and/or lactation affects infant body composition, maternal blood sugar during pregnancy, and the infants’ gut microbiome and metabolome
- Main Objective: To determine whether non-nutritive sweetener consumption during pregnancy and/or lactation affects infant body composition, maternal blood sugar during pregnancy, and the infants’ gut microbiome and metabolome
- Coordinating Center for Metabolic Dysregulation and Cancer Risk Consortium (MeDOC)
- The overall purpose of the trans-NCI Metabolic Dysregulation and Cancer Risk Program is to enhance knowledge of the dynamics and underlying mechanisms that link obesity, metabolic dysregulation, and increased cancer risk in individuals and identify mechanisms that will enhance cancer risk prediction, screening for high-risk individuals in clinical settings, and potential targets for preventive and therapeutic interventions.
Published Peer Reviewed Manuscripts (Indicates student/trainee authors)
Foreman, N.A., Rajwade, S., Bluth, J., Skoglund, L.C., Letts, A.M., DiPietro, L., Ciarleglio, A., Barberio, M.D. Increased Postprandial Metabolic Flexibility is Associated with High Body Fat Percentages in Healthy Young Adults. AJP Endo Metab. 2025. Oct 2027 doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00235.2025
Hajmir, M.M., Sayoldin, B., Rahnavard, A., Barberio, M.D., van Dam, R.D. Plasma branched-chain amino acid and cardiovascular disease risk factors: a longitudinal analysis of a lifestyle trial. (April 2025). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2025 Sep 16 doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaf509
Ma, S., Hubal, M.J., Morris M.C., Ross, L.M., Huffman, K.M., Vann .C.G., Moore N., Hauser.. E.R., Bareja. A., Jiang. R., Kummerfeld, E., Barberio, M.D., Houmard, J.A., Bennett, W.C., Johnson, J.L., Timmons, J.A., Broderick, G., Kraus, V.B., Aliferis, C.F., Kraus W.E., Sex-specific skeletal muscle gene expression responses to exercise reveal novel direct mediators of insulin sensitivity change. NAR Mol Med. 2025 Mar 28;2(2)
DiPietro, L., Malin, S.K., Barberio, M.D., Levers, K., Heinz, E., Napolitano, M.A., Appetite Regulation In Response to Acute Exercise among Weight-Loss Treatment Responders vs. Non-Responders: A Pilot Study. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. Translational Journal of the ACSM 10(1):e000284, Winter 2025.
Alvaro, C.E., Levers, K.S., Barberio, M.D., Jin, Y., Stranieri, A.M., Sacheck, J.M., COVID-19 incidence and cardiorespiratory fitness among first-year college students. Front Public Health. 2024 Oct 15;12:1468300.
Lweno O., Reynolds V.S., Barberio M.D., Klatt, K.C., Mugusi, S., Gopalakrishnan, M., Lukmanji, Z., Alwy Al-beity, F.M., Arcot, A., Gllagher, K., Martin, L.A., Rahnavard, A., Gernand, A.D., Langevin, B. Masanja, H., Smith, E.R.. Single-blinded, stratified, dose ranging trial to assess pharmacokinetics and identify optimal dose of vitamin B12 in pregnancy in Tanzania Gates Open Res 2024, 8:95
Kunte, P.#, Barberio M.D.#, Tiwari, P, Sukla, K., Harmon, B., Epstein, S., Bhat, D, Authelet, K., Goldberg M., Rao, S., Damle, H., Freishtat, R.J., Yajnik, C. Neonatal adiposity is associated with microRNAs in adipocyte-derived extracellular vesicles in maternal and cord blood, a discovery analysis. Int J Obes 48, 403-413 (2024). #These authors contributed equally
Klatt K.C., Smith E.R., Barberio M.D., Toward a more stable understanding of pregnancy micronutrient metabolism. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2021 Aug 1;321(2):E260-3.
Smith, E.R., He S., Klatt, K.C., Barberio, M.D., Rahnavard. A, Azad, N., Brandt, C., Harker, B., Hogan, E, Kucherlapaty P, Moradian, D., Limited data exist to inform our basic understanding of micronutrient requirements in pregnancy. Science Advances. 2021 Oct 1;7(43)
Barberio, M.D., Dohm, G.L., Pories, W.J., Gadaleta ,N.A., Houmard, J.A., Nadler, E.P., Hubal, M.J., Type 2 Diabetes Modifies Skeletal Muscle Gene Expression Response to Gastric Bypass Surgery. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2021:1243.
He, S., Klatt, K.C., Rahnavard, A., Barberio, M.D., Gernand, A.D., Smith, E.R., Protocol for meta-research on the evidence informing micronutrient dietary reference intakes for pregnant and lactating women. Gates Open Res. 2020 Nov 13;4:171.
Barberio, M.D., Nadler E.P., Sevilla, S., Lu, R., Harmon, B., Hubal, M.J., Comparison of visceral adipose tissue DNA methylation and gene expression profiles in female adolescents with obesity. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2019;11:98.
Barberio, M.D., Kasselman, L.J., Playford, M.P., Epstein, S.B., Renna, H.A., DeLeon J., Voloshyna, I., Barlev, A., Salama, M., Ferrante, S., Nadler, E.P., Mehta, N., Reiss, A.B., & Freishtat, R.J. Cholesterol Efflux Alterations in Adolescent Obesity: Role of Adipose-derived Exosomal microRNAs J Transl Med