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Dr. Christopher Minson’s
research focuses on topics related to women’s health, physiology
of the skin, and the acute and adaptive responses to
environmental extremes. Cardiovascular health, studied through
various models of endothelial, vascular, and microvascular
function, is the overarching theme in much of his research.
Women’s Vascular Health
Estrogen and progesterone can work independently, together, and
antagonistically on the endothelium – depending on their form
and levels in the body. Current birth control and hormone
therapy treatments utilize varied combinations of both natural
and synthetic estrogens and progestogens. Despite widespread use
of birth control and hormone therapy, the effects of these
exogenous hormones on vascular regulation are not fully
understood. Physiological maturity (pre-menopausal,
post-menopausal) and underlying health conditions (such as
insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, or obesity) can
impact the vascular responses to estrogen and progesterone. Dr.
Minson’s research team is currently investigating the
independent and combined roles of estrogen and progesterone in
women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, studying both overweight
and lean populations. His team also investigates how the
sympathetic nervous system contributes to vascular function and
health in women, including how an increased sympathetic
overdrive could lead to deleterious effects on cardiovascular
and endocrine health.
Skin
The skin allows for the study of the microvasculature in humans
in a relatively non-invasive manner. Dr. Minson utilizes the
techniques of laser Doppler flowmetry paired with intradermal
microdialysis to understand the mechanisms underlying the
control of skin blood flow. In current and recent studies, we
have been exploring the skin’s response to local heating and
post-occlusive reactive hyperemia – including examining whether
these stimuli can be used as clinical tests of microcirculatory
health in humans. A current goal is to pair the microdialysis
technique with proteomic approaches to identify novel
neurotransmitters involved in regulation of vascular tone in the
skin.
Exercise and Environmental Physiology
Exercise and changes in environmental conditions place
stress on the body, triggering physiological responses. Studying
the mechanisms of heat, cold and altitude acclimation provide
insight into the body’s ability- or inability - to induce and
sustain internal adaptations. Dr. Minson’s team uses a
state-of-the-art environmental chamber to simulate exposure to
various environmental conditions. By pairing exercise with
environmental stress in healthy populations, we can test the
limits of physiological adaptation. For example, recent research
in our lab has shown that exercise performance in highly trained
athletes can be improved following a period of heat acclimation,
even when exercise is performed in a cool environment. This work
also has implications for patient populations, in which they
don’t tolerate changes in environmental conditions. Finally, it
is possible that exposure to environmental challenges may cause
adaptations in patients that improve their health or allow them
to gain the most benefit from exercise. This is an exciting area
of research that is relatively unexplored.
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