Overview

The focus of our research in the laboratory is on autonomic control of the cardiovascular system as it relates to the regulation of blood pressure and body temperature. Key research goals are to understand cutaneous vasodilation in type 2 diabetes mellitus and sympathetic neural control mechanisms involved in the control of blood pressure. Within these themes, specific topics under investigation include the role of nitric oxide in reflex cutaneous vasodilation, local warming and neurally-mediated vasodilation, sympathetic nerve activity in type 2 diabetes mellitus, muscle sympathetic nerve activity and baroreflex sensitivity during dehydration, and the effects of aging on sympathetic nerve activity and vasoconstrictor responsiveness. Our studies involve a wide range of subjects between the ages of 18 and 75, including healthy controls and individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Our lab is currently supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.