Center Investigators

 Researcher/Clinician NameTitleDepartmentSpecialties
Andrea AguirreAndrea Aguirre, MDClinical Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitationacute and chronic spinal cord injury rehabilitation, spasticity management, and adaptive sports and recreation
barnardAlison Barnard, DPT, PhDAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Physical TherapyPathophysiology in Muscular Dystrophy
BartonElisabeth Barton, PhDProfessor & Acting Associate DeanDepartment of Applied Physiology & KinesiologyMuscular dystrophy and respiratory muscle function
Richard B. Berry, MDRichard Berry, MDProfessor & Medical DirectorDivision of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep MedicineSleep disorders, upper airway physiology, pharmacological treatment of sleep apnea, mechanisms of respiratory arousal
Jennifer BizonJennifer Bizon, PhDProfessor & Chair; DirectorDepartment of Neuroscience; McKnight Brain InstituteTherapeutic intermittent hypoxia and cognitive function in rodent models
Don BolserDonald Bolser, PhDProfessorDepartment of Physiological SciencesRespiratory control, mechanisms of cough, and airway defense
David BorcheltDavid Borchelt, PhDProfessor & DirectorDepartment of NeurosciencePrior transmission of ALS
Prodip BoseProdip Bose, MD, PhDProfessor & DirectorDepartment of NeurologySpasticity after TBI/SCI
BryantAndrew Bryant, MDClinical Assistant ProfessorDivision of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep MedicinePulmonary critical care and sleep medicine; hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension
Barry ByrneBarry Byrne, MD, PhDProfessor & Associate ChairDepartment of PediatricsPompe disease, gene therapy
ClantonThomas Clanton, PhDBK and Betty Stevens ProfessorDepartment of Applied Physiology & KinesiologyInflammation in respiratory muscles
DaleErica Dale, PhDAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Physiology and Functional GenomicsSpinal stimulation induced phrenic motor plasticity; neurostimulation and functional recovery of breathing capacity after spinal injury
DavenportPaul Davenport, PhDDistinguished ProfessorDepartment of Physiological SciencesRespiratory control, sensation and airway defense
Irene EstoresIrene Estores, MDAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationMedical acupuncture; neuropathic pain
ferreiraLeonardo Ferreira, PhDAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Applied Physiology & KinesiologyDiaphragm atrophy
Emily FoxEmily Fox, PT, DPT, PhD, NCSResearch Associate ProfessorDepartment of Physical Therapy Phrenic/diaphragm pacing as rehabilitative tool; therapeutic intermittent hypoxia and spinal injury
DFDavid Fuller, PhDProfessor & Associate DirectorDepartment of Physical TherapySpinal stimulation and recovery of breathing activity with opiate-induced respiratory depression and spinal injury; Regulation of airway muscles; hyperbaric oxygenation, intermittent hypoxia and respiratory plasticity, Pompe disease
Elisa Gonzalez-RothiElisa Gonzalez-Rothi, DPT, PhDResearch Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Physical TherapyRespiratory plasticity induced by neurostimulation and intermittent hypoxia; spinal cord injury; sleep apnea & pathogenic intermittent hypoxia after SCI
Karen HeglandKaren Hegland, PhD, CCC-SLPAssociate Professor & Program DirectorDepartment of Speech, Language, and Hearing SciencesCough and respiratory sensation in Parkinson's Disease
HeppleRussell Hepple, PhDProfessorDepartment of Physical TherapyAging and toxicology of respiratory muscle
JudgeAndrew Judge, PhDAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Physical TherapySepsis, cachexia and respiratory muscles
KaufmannChristopher Kaufmann, PhD, MHSAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informaticssleep disorders and neurodegeneration
LascanoJorge Lascano, MDAssociate ProfessorDivision of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep MedicinePulmonary critical care
Jada LewisJada Lewis, PhDProfessorDepartment of NeurosciencePathogenic and therapeutic IH in neurodegenerative disease
Carolina MacielCarolina Maciel, MD, MSCRAssociate ProfessorDepartment of NeurologyCognitive function after cardiac arrest/recovery; neurocritical care, TBI
Shawn McGargillShawn McGargill, MDClinical Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationInterventional spine care; orthopaedics and rehabilitation; physical medicine and rehabilitation
MehradBorna Mehrad, MDEthel Smith Research Professor and ChiefDivision of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep MedicineLung disease
Gordon MitchellGordon Mitchell, PhDPreeminence Professor & DirectorDepartment of Physical TherapyIntermittent hypoxia induced respiratory plasticity, therapeutic intermittent hypoxia in spinal injury and ALS
Nicholas NapoliNicholas Napoli, PhDAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Electrical and Computer EngineeringHyperbaric oxygenation
Maria NikodemovaMaria Nikodemova, MS, PhDResearch Associate ScientistDepartment of Physical Therapymicroglial plasticity in healthy CNS and during neurodegeneration; APOE4 phenotype, sleep apnea; the role of microglia and neuroinflammation in regulating respiratory motor plasticity during hypoxia and after spinal cord injury
Kevin OttoKevin Otto, PhDProfessor & Senior Associate ChairDepartment of Biomedical EngineeringNeural interfaces, multi-channel implantable micro devices for neural stimulation, autonomic neuroengineering; neuroprosthetics; spinal/epidural stimulation
Emily PlowmanEmily Plowman, PhD, CCC-SLPProfessor & Clinical Research DirectorDepartment of Speech, Language, and Hearing SciencesDysphagia and cough in ALS
Laura RanumLaura Ranum, PhDProfessor & DirectorDepartment of Molecular Genetics & MicrobiologyGenetics of neurodegenerative neuromuscular disease: myotonic dystrophy and ALS
Mike ReidMichael Reid, PhDProfessor & DeanDepartment of Applied Physiology & KinesiologyMolecular biology of respiratory muscle
ReznikovLeah Reznikov, PhDAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Physiological SciencesNeural innervation of the airways, cystic fibrosis
Christine SchmidtChristine Schmidt, PhDProfessor & ChairDepartment of Biomedical EngineeringNeuroregeneration after peripheral or spinal cord injury
Yasin SevenYasin B. Seven, MS, PhDAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Physiological Sciences Neuroprotection in spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative diseases, nanoparticle-based targeted drug delivery
Kim SibilleKimberly Sibille, PhD, MAAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationBridging the biomedical, behavioral, and psychosocial chasm in chronic pain
SmithBarbara Smith, PT, PhDResearch Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Physical TherapyPompe disease, diaphragm pacing; therapeutic intermittent hypoxia in ALS patients
Ashley SmuderAshley Smuder, PhDAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Applied Physiology & KinesiologyDiaphragm atrophy; response to therapeutics; HBO and diaphragm muscle inflammation in Pompe and SCI
Ramon SunRamon Sun, PhDAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Biochemistry And Molecular BiologyCellular metabolism, signaling, and physiology; disease etiology of neurological disorders
SweeneyLee Sweeney, PhDProfessorDepartment of Pharmacology & TherapeuticsMolecular motors of the myosin superfamily; muscular dystrophy
VandenborneKrista Vandenborne, PT, PhDDistinguished Professor & ChairDepartment of Physical TherapyRespiratory failure in human DMD
Alicia VoseAlicia Vose, PhD, CCC-SLPAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Neurology (UF Health -Jacksonville)Acute intermittent hypoxia and respiratory strength training to enhance breathing and swallowing in people with chronic spinal cord injury; effects of diaphragm stimulation on respiratory neural drive and function
WalterGlenn Walter, PhDProfessorDepartment of Physiology and Functional GenomicsMRI imaging of respiratory muscles & their plasticity
Adam WoodsAdam Woods, PhDAssociate Professor & Assistant DirectorDepartment of Clinical and Health PsychologyTherapeutic intermittent hypoxia and cognitive function in aging humans
James WymerJames Wymer, MD, FAANProfessorDepartment of NeurologyDiagnosis and management of neuromuscular diseases, including ALS, muscle diseases and peripheral neuropathies