Focus areas

The Cell and Regenerative Physiology Lab led by Gary C. Sieck, Ph.D., is working to develop novel therapeutic approaches to counter altered cell signaling that affects muscle physiology. This includes the effects of accidental hypothermia, aging, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, critical illness, heart failure, ischemia-reperfusion injury, neuromuscular disease and spinal cord injury.

The research team is moving toward this goal through these research focus areas:

• Neural control of the diaphragm muscle. This research focuses on how motor units are recruited to accomplish different ventilatory and airway clearance motor behaviors of the diaphragm and how a variety of conditions affect neuromuscular control. Learn more about the lab's research into neural control of the diaphragm muscle.
• Diaphragm muscle weakness. Dr. Sieck's research is examining basic mechanisms of diaphragm muscle weakness under a variety of conditions, including aging, also known as sarcopenia, as well as spinal cord injury and critical illness. Learn more about the lab's research into diaphragm muscle weakness.
• Interaction between mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum. The lab's exploration of the neural control of airway smooth muscle is uncovering the complex physiological signaling cascade that underlies asthma, triggering both airway hyperreactivity and remodeling. Learn more about the lab's research into the interaction between mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum.