KU’s John Thyfault Named Big 12 Faculty of the Year for Groundbreaking Metabolism Research
John Thyfault, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center, has been recognized as KU’s winner of the 2025-2026 Big 12 Faculty of the Year Awards. The awards, now in their second year, celebrate outstanding faculty members from each of the conference’s 16 schools for their contributions to innovation and research.
From Football to Cellular Insights
Thyfault’s journey into science began with a practical question sparked by his experience as a college football player at Fort Hays State University. He wondered if understanding cellular processes could optimize athletic training. This curiosity led him to pursue research into metabolism, mitochondrial energetics, obesity and exercise physiology.
A Focus on Metabolic Health for All
Initially, Thyfault’s doctoral operate at KU focused on how exercise impacts elite athletes. Still, a pivotal question from a mentor shifted his focus: did he want to study the 1% of the 1%, or the 99% of the population? This prompted him to investigate how exercise benefits individuals facing common health challenges.
Thyfault’s research centers on understanding how exercise protects against metabolic disease, proposing that physical activity restores the metabolic function humans evolved with during a more active lifestyle focused on obtaining food and shelter. He believes modern sedentary habits disrupt this natural metabolic design, leading to dysfunction. University of Kansas Medical Center
The Liver’s Central Role
For the past two decades, Thyfault’s primary research focus has been the liver, a key organ in metabolic homeostasis. His studies demonstrate that exercise can reduce the risk of metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (formerly known as fatty liver disease). At a microscopic level, he investigates how liver mitochondria – the cell’s powerhouses – respond to obesity, inactivity, and exercise. UCLA Health
Interdisciplinary Research and Future Leaders
Thyfault fosters interdisciplinary research at KU Medical Center, connecting obesity and metabolism to conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. He emphasizes the fundamental role of metabolism and exercise in overall health, stating, “Everything’s connected.” University of Kansas Medical Center
He is also dedicated to mentoring doctoral students and undergraduates through research experiences, believing that curiosity is the driving force behind scientific discovery. “If you’re the creative, curious type, research is your thing,” he says. “It can be a hard career, but what other thing can you do in the world where you can just wake up and say, ‘I’m really curious about how this works — I’m going to design an experiment to test it?’”
Recognition and Celebration
As part of the Big 12 Faculty of the Year Award, Thyfault will throw out the first pitch and receive a trophy at a KU baseball game in Lawrence this spring. University of Kansas Medical Center
“We are constantly looking for ways to highlight how Big 12 faculty continue to educate and inspire the next generation of leaders,” said Big 12 Chief Impact Officer Jenn Hunter. “From the arts and film making to business and engineering, this year’s cohort showcases the vast opportunities available to students pursuing an education on Big 12 campuses.”
About John Thyfault
- Title: Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, Professor of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Pharmacology, Director of the KU Diabetes Institute, Scientific Director of Basic Research at Children’s Mercy Hospital, and Scientist at the Kansas City VA Medical Center.
- Education: BS and MS from Fort Hays State University, PhD from the University of Kansas.
- Research Focus: Metabolism, mitochondrial energetics, obesity, exercise physiology, and chronic disease prevention.
Related reading