Researcher Profile Detail
Dr. Richard Hughson
BSc (University of Western Ontario), MSc (University of British Columbia), PhD (McMaster University)
Professor and University Research Chair, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo
BIOGRAPHY
The research program in the Cardiorespiratory and Vascular Dynamics Laboratory examines the mechanisms responsible for adapting to the stress of physical activity or changes in posture. We have developed a wide range of noninvasive techniques that allow us to follow changes in blood vessel properties with aging and to determine the factors that could impair regulation of blood pressure and brain blood flow during transitions between supine and upright posture. We also study the adaptations of the cardiovascular system during transitions between rest and exercise. Our research has application to understanding why the sensation of effort might be greater in individuals who are on medication to treat cardiovascular diseases or people with diseases that impair the pumping ability of the heart. Our research that explores the cardiovascular responses to the upright posture has widespread application to the many individuals who experience dizziness or faint when they go quickly to standing after lying in bed or resting in a chair. Our research is especially relevant to older people as falls that can occur with dizziness are serious problems because of the great risk for bone fractures that can impact an individual's independence or even threaten his/her life. We are also applying this research to study astronauts who experience dizziness or faint on returning from the International Space Station.
KEY PUBLICATIONS
Serrador, JM, RL Hughson, JM Kowalchuk, RL Bondar and AW Gelb. Cerebral blood flow during orthostasis: the role of arterial CO2. Am.J.Physiol.Regul.Integr.Comp. Physiol. 290: R1087-R1093, 2006.
Dyson, KS, JK Shoemaker and RL Hughson. Effect of acute sympathetic nervous system activation on flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery. Am.J.Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 290: H1446-H1453, 2006.
Tulppo, MP, HV Huikuri, E Tutungi, DS Kimmerly, AW Gelb, RL Hughson, TH Mäkikallio and JK Shoemaker. Feedback effects of circulating norepinephrine on sympathetic outflow in healthy subjects. Am.J.Physiol.Heart Circ. Physiol. 288: H710-H715, 2005.
O'Leary, DD, JK Shoemaker, MR Edwards, and RL Hughson. Spontaneous beat-by-beat fluctuations of total peripheral and cerebrovascular resistance in response to tilt. Am.J.Physiol.Regul.Integr.Comp. Physiol. 287: R670-R679, 2004.
Hughson, RL, DD O'Leary, JK, Shoemaker, DC, Lin, ZL, Topor, MR, Edwards, and MP Tulppo. Searching for the vascular component of the arterial baroreflex. Cardiovasc. Engin. 4: 155-162, 2004.
RESEARCH WEBSITE
http://healthy.uwaterloo.ca/~hughson/cvlab.htmlCONTACT INFORMATION
| Email: | hughson@uwaterloo.ca |
| Phone: | 519.888.4567 ext. 32516 |
| Address: |
Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Burt Matthews Hall, Room 3116 University of Waterloo 200 University Ave. West Waterloo, ON CANADA N2L 3G1 |