Patrick J Mueller Ph.D. (dq4607)

The goal of the research in my laboratory is to learn more about how the brain controls the diameter of blood vessels in the peripheral circulation, which directly influence our resting blood pressure. In particular, I am interested in how the brain adapts in its control of the cardiovascular system under various physiological and pathophysiological states. Currently, the laboratory is to examining how sedentary versus physical active conditions change the brain (known as neuroplasticity) and is related to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals who do not exercise on a regularly basis. Using a variety of techniques, we examine blood pressure regulation at the level of the whole animal down to levels of gene expression in individual cells. More recently we have been focusing on the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the context of a sedentary lifestyle and renovascular hypertension. Included in these studies, is the exploration of sex-based differences in blood pressure regulation by the brain since women of reproductive age have a far lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than men. Ultimately our goal is to target neural mechanisms in the brain which contribute to cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Mueller will consider new MS and PhD students in is lab for the 2023-24 academic year.

A complete list of Dr. Mueller's publications can be found at PubMed-Mueller

• 1995-97 Postdoctoral Fellow, Mentor: Philip S. Clifford, Ph.D.; Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin
• 1997-01 Postdoctoral Fellow, Mentor: Eileen M. Hasser, Ph.D.; Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences,  Univ. Missouri-Columbia

Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Physiological Science, St. Louis University

B.A in Biology (Chemistry Minor) Blackburn University

• Neural control of the circulation - effects of activity and inactivity on neural pathways in the brainstem

Physiology Profile

The goal of the research in my laboratory is to learn more about how the brain controls the heart and blood vessels and therefore, its role in determining arterial blood pressure and organ blood flow. In particular, I am interested in how the brain adapts its control of the cardiovascular system to various physiological and pathophysiological states. Currently, we are examining how levels of physical inactivity contribute to alterations in neurohumoral control of circulation and the increase incidence of cardiovascular disease in sedentary individuals.

Area of expertise is in neural control of the circulation

Disease/Disorder

Chronic inactivity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease

Species

Primarily work with rats using in vivo experiments and ex vivo studies with brain tissue. Collaborate with faculty working in mice and in humans.

Methods

Brain microinjections, electrophysiology of neurons and nerve fibers, blood pressure and heart rate recordings; western blotting; immunohistochemistry; tract tracing; and manganese enhanced MRI.

Key Collaborators

Ida Llewellyn-Smith (Flinders Univ.), Jason Mateika (WSU), Charles Chung (WSU), Christine Rabinak (WSU)

PubMed Search (past 5 years)