Primarily, my lab studies the link between hormonal systems (such as the renin angiotensin system), central sites of action of these hormones and the regulation of sympathetic nervous system outflow. We have focused on the plasma hormone, angiotensin II, and its role in blood pressure regulation and the pathophysiology of heart failure at 3 specific brain regions (the area postrema, subfornical organ and organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis) known as circumventricular organs. We apply state of the art radiotelemetry to continuously measure arterial pressure and heart rate in conscious, freely moving, research subjects.
