Thad Wilson, PhD

  • Professor, Department of Physiology

  • Vice Chair, Department of Physiology

  • Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Environmental Health

  • Director of Graduate Certificate | Physiology Teaching

  • Dr. Fred W. Zechman Professorship

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Contact

(859) 562-3290
tewi230@uky.edu
BBSRB Rm: B255, 741 South Limestone Street

Research

The goals of our laboratory/clinical-focused research are to: 1) identify the mechanisms of eccrine sweat gland and skin blood flow disorders to develop meaningful treatments; 2) quantify and model regional skin barriers and transdermal molecule movement during environmental exposures; and 3) determine the interactions of the thermal environment on medical conditions and worker health/safety.

The goals of our physiological education-focused research are to: 1) determine if function diagrams improve recalling and classifying factual knowledge in medical education; and 2) identify the role of physiological simulations in developing conceptual and procedural knowledge.

Selected Publications

ORCIDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4345-1616

2025 Google Scholar h-index: 43

2025 Google Scholar i10-index: 79

2025 Total Citations: >6400

Representative Original Research Publications:

Metzler-Wilson, K., Fang, M. M., Alibegovic, K., Daggett, J., Narra, S., Dazé, R. P., Miller, O. G., & Wilson, T. E.  Effect of reflex and mechanical decreases in skin perfusion on thermal- and agonist-induced eccrine sweating in humans. American Journal of Physiology (Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology), 324: R271-R280, 2023.

Metzler-Wilson, K., Toma, K., Sammons, D.L., Mann, S., Jurovcik, A. J., Demidova, O., & Wilson, T. E.  Augmented supraorbital skin sympathetic nerve activity responses to symptom trigger events in rosacea patients.  Journal of Neurophysiology, 114: 1530-1537, 2015.

Wilson, T. E., Brothers, R. M., Tollund, C., Dawson, E. A., Nissen, P., Yoshiga, C. C., Jons, C., Secher, N. H., Crandall, C. G.  Effect of thermal stress on Frank-Starling relations in humans.  Journal of Physiology (London), 587:3383-3392, 2009.

Representative Research Synthesis & Integration Publications:

Wilson, T. E.  Cardiovascular and metabolic responses to thermal insults.  Theory and Applications of Heat Transfer in Cells and Organs (edited by D. Shrivastava), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 2018; ISBN-13: 978-1119127307.

Wilson, T. E.  Renal sympathetic nerve, blood flow, and epithelial transport responses to thermal stress. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical, 204: 25-34, 2017.

Wilson, T. E., Klabunde, R. E. & Monahan, K. D.  Using thermal stress to model aspects of disease states. Journal of Thermal Biology, 43: 24-32, 2014.

Representative Educational Scholarship:

Preston, R. R. & Wilson, T.E., Lippincott Illustrated Reviews: Physiology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (Wolters Kluwer Co.), Baltimore, MD, 2024; ISBN-13: 978-1975196332.

Wilson, T. E. & Barrett, K. E. Gastrointestinal jabberwocky to bioengineering design: Using function diagrams to teach physiology. Advances in Physiological Education, 45: 264–268, 2021.

Wilson, T. E., M. Minal, S. Akbar. Opportunistic physiology: Inserting physiology and pathophysiology content into virtually delivered clinical rotations. Advances in Physiological Education, 44: 545-549, 2020.

Representative Broader Impact Works:

Wilson, T. E. & Campbell K. S.  Expanding “normal” in physiology education. Physiology Educators Community of Practice (PECOP) blog, December 15th, 2021.  https://blog.lifescitrc.org/pecop/.

Wilson, T. E. & Metzler-Wilson, K.  Autonomic thermoregulation.  Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Web edition: Oxford University Press, 2018; DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190264086.013.15. Print edition: Oxford University Press, 2022; ISBN-13: 978-0190464912.

Wilson, T. E., Lecturio USMLE: Physiology. Medicine Division of Lecturio GmbH, 2016-2025

 

 

Selected Publications

ORCIDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4345-1616

2025 Google Scholar h-index: 43

2025 Google Scholar i10-index: 79

2025 Total Citations: >6400

Representative Original Research Publications:

Metzler-Wilson, K., Fang, M. M., Alibegovic, K., Daggett, J., Narra, S., Dazé, R. P., Miller, O. G., & Wilson, T. E.  Effect of reflex and mechanical decreases in skin perfusion on thermal- and agonist-induced eccrine sweating in humans. American Journal of Physiology (Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology), 324: R271-R280, 2023.

Metzler-Wilson, K., Toma, K., Sammons, D.L., Mann, S., Jurovcik, A. J., Demidova, O., & Wilson, T. E.  Augmented supraorbital skin sympathetic nerve activity responses to symptom trigger events in rosacea patients.  Journal of Neurophysiology, 114: 1530-1537, 2015.

Wilson, T. E., Brothers, R. M., Tollund, C., Dawson, E. A., Nissen, P., Yoshiga, C. C., Jons, C., Secher, N. H., Crandall, C. G.  Effect of thermal stress on Frank-Starling relations in humans.  Journal of Physiology (London), 587:3383-3392, 2009.

Representative Research Synthesis & Integration Publications:

Wilson, T. E.  Cardiovascular and metabolic responses to thermal insults.  Theory and Applications of Heat Transfer in Cells and Organs (edited by D. Shrivastava), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 2018; ISBN-13: 978-1119127307.

Wilson, T. E.  Renal sympathetic nerve, blood flow, and epithelial transport responses to thermal stress. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical, 204: 25-34, 2017.

Wilson, T. E., Klabunde, R. E. & Monahan, K. D.  Using thermal stress to model aspects of disease states. Journal of Thermal Biology, 43: 24-32, 2014.

Representative Educational Scholarship:

Preston, R. R. & Wilson, T.E., Lippincott Illustrated Reviews: Physiology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (Wolters Kluwer Co.), Baltimore, MD, 2024; ISBN-13: 978-1975196332.

Wilson, T. E. & Barrett, K. E. Gastrointestinal jabberwocky to bioengineering design: Using function diagrams to teach physiology. Advances in Physiological Education, 45: 264–268, 2021.

Wilson, T. E., M. Minal, S. Akbar. Opportunistic physiology: Inserting physiology and pathophysiology content into virtually delivered clinical rotations. Advances in Physiological Education, 44: 545-549, 2020.

Representative Broader Impact Works:

Wilson, T. E. & Campbell K. S.  Expanding “normal” in physiology education. Physiology Educators Community of Practice (PECOP) blog, December 15th, 2021.  https://blog.lifescitrc.org/pecop/.

Wilson, T. E. & Metzler-Wilson, K.  Autonomic thermoregulation.  Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Web edition: Oxford University Press, 2018; DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190264086.013.15. Print edition: Oxford University Press, 2022; ISBN-13: 978-0190464912.

Wilson, T. E., Lecturio USMLE: Physiology. Medicine Division of Lecturio GmbH, 2016-2025

 

 

Education

B.S. University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

M.S. University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

Ph.D. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas & University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX