Research Physiology Research Physiology Research The department of physiology is proud of our strong tradition of interdisciplinary and collaborative research. Faculty members currently hold research grants from funding organizations including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the American Heart Association, and others. The department also supports NIH training grants and journal clubs. Resources Access the available resources available for research in our department. See More Undergraduate Research Opportunities Learn about research opportunities for undergraduate students. See More Focus Areas Aging Focus Area Aging Focus Area Francisco Andrade, PhD Development and Aging of Craniofacial and Respiratory Muscles Erhard Bieberich, PhD Lipid Biochemistry Alan Daugherty, PhD, D.Sc Cardiovascular Research Center Steven Estus, PhD Molecular Genetics of Alzheimers Disease Lance Johnson, PhD ApoE, Brain Metabolism and Cognition Mariana Nikolova-Karakashian, PhD Role of Sphingolipid Signal Transduction Pathway in Animal Aging Donna Wilcock PhD Role of Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutics Melinda Wilson, PhD Mechanisms of Estrogen Action Cardiovascular Focus Area Cardiovascular Focus Area Alan Daugherty, PhD, D.Sc Molecular Mechanisms of Human Vascular Diseases Kenneth Campbell, PhD Heart Failure Muscle Physiology Computer Modeling Biospecimens Brian Delisle, PhD Cardiovascular Ming Cui Gong, PhD, MD Signal Transduction in Vascular Smooth Muscle Scott Gordon, PhD Metabolism and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease Brian Jackson, PhD Signal Transduction Systems Involved in Regulation of Renal Tubular Transport and in Adrenal Catecholamine Synthesis and Secretion David Randall, PhD Autonomic Control of Cardiovascular Function Jonathan Satin, PhD Structure-Function Studies of Voltage-Gated Ion Channels in Heart and Nerve Metabolic Disease Focus Area Metabolic Disease Focus Area Ming Cui Gong, PhD, MD Signal Transduction in Vascular Smooth Muscle Lance Johnson, PhD ApoE, brain metabolism and cognition Mariana Nikolova-Karakashian PhD Role of Sphingolipid Signal Transduction Pathway in Animal Aging Bret Smith, PhD Neuronal Interactions in the Mammalian Brain Neuroscience Focus Area Neuroscience Focus Area Francisco Andrade, PhD Development and aging of cranio-facial and respiratory muscles Erhard Bieberich, PhD Lipid Biochemistry Steven Estus, PhD Molecular Genetics of Alzheimer Disease Gregory Frolenkov, PhD Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Hearing John Carib Gensel, PhD Neuroinflammation in Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Lance Johnson, PhD ApoE, Brain Metabolism and Cognition Lu-Yuan Lee, PhD Airway hypersensitivity; TRPV Channels in the Airways Sandra Legan, PhD Neuroendocrine Mechanisms Mediating the Feedback Actions of Ovarian Steroids on Gonadotropin Secretion Timothy McClintock, PhD Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics of Olfaction, Neural Regeneration, and Spinal Cord Injury Alexander Rabchevsky, PhD Genetic, Biochemical and Cellular Approaches for Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury Kathryn Saatman, PhD Pathophysiology of Traumatic Brain Injury Bret Smith, PhD Neuronal Interactions in the Mammalian Brain Donna Wilcock, PhD Role of Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutics Melinda Wilson, PhD Mechanisms of Estrogen Action