Overview

The Human and Integrative Physiology and Clinical Pharmacology laboratories are studying how the peripheral circulation and autonomic reflexes adapt to physical stresses such as standing, exercise or body heating. We also study the influence of gender and age on these factors. In many of these studies we instrument humans to measure blood flow using both invasive and non-invasive techniques. The subjects then engage in activities that evoke physiological responses (for example, exercise) and we infuse agonist and antagonist drugs to understand the mechanisms that govern the responses. Areas of interest include:

• Blood flow to exercising muscles
• Skin blood flow responses to heating
• Physiological responses to orthostatic stress
• The autonomic nervous system and its receptors
• Physiological responses to Bariatric Surgery
• Pharmacological agents relevant to Anesthesia

Our laboratory's work on these issues is funded by the NIH and other extramural sources.