WEBINAR—Assessing Breathing and Upper Airway Function in Neuromuscular Disease

Breathing and upper airway function are measured in rodent models of neurodegeneration with a variety of techniques, including behavioral assays and in vivo and molecular approaches. Discussion will explore how these measures evaluate the pathology that leads to deficits in breathing and upper airway function, as well as strategies to preserve and restore these critical life-sustaining functions across rodent models that mimic neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases. 

What You’ll Learn 

• Outcome measures to evaluate breathing and upper airway function. 
• Approaches to assess pathology following neurodegeneration. 
• Strategies to preserve and restore life-sustaining functions. 

Who Should Attend 

• Respiratory physiology researchers and educators 
• Aerodigestive physiology researchers and educators 

Speaker

Nicole Nichols, PhD
Associate Professor, University of Missouri

Nicole Nichols, PhD, is an associate professor in the University of Missouri Department of Pathobiology and Integrative Biomedical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine with an adjunct appointment in the Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology in the School of Medicine and an investigator at the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center. She was trained in neuroscience, physiology and respiratory neurobiology. Nichols’ team works to harness the central nervous system’s natural ability to develop neuroplasticity in order to combat diseases that can rob patients of vital bodily functions, including breathing and swallowing. 

Moderator

David Fuller, PhD
Associate Dean for Research, University of Florida, College of Public Health and Health Professions

David Fuller, PhD, is associate dean for research at the University of Florida (UF) College of Public Health and Health Professions and is associate director of the Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center (BREATHE). He directs a respiratory neuromuscular physiology laboratory in the UF McKnight Brain Institute. Fuller’s current areas of emphasis include therapeutic uses of oxygen in acute to sub-acute spinal cord injury, and developing and testing novel therapeutic approaches for neuromuscular disorders. 

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