Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The cardiovascular system supports homeostasis by ensuring optimal blood pressure and oxygenated blood flow to the brain and other vital tissues. Yet, we have minimal knowledge regarding the neural mechanisms that regulate the heart and blood vessels and we do not understand the integrative role of the cardiovascular system in broader physiological processes that keep humans alive. Our NSERC-funded research programs leverage a transdisciplinary approach to address these knowledge gaps by exploring the human cardiovascular system from several unique perspectives. However, Brock University's capacity to study the cardiovascular system is in a vulnerable position as we do not have a system that can measure continuous human cardiovascular function in the brain and periphery. Therefore, we are requesting a comprehensive and integrative system comprised of: (1) a Doppler ultrasound and probes to measure heart and peripheral vascular function, and peripheral blood flow, (2) a Doppler signal converter that enables the blood flow signal measured by the ultrasound to be integrated into our existing data collection hardware and software, and (3) a robotic transcranial Doppler ultrasound to perform continuous and stable measures of blood flow indices in the human brain. Immediate access to this system will support four high-impact NSERC Discovery Grant-funded research programs (plus collaborators) which urgently require the infrastructure to advance their research and avoid delays in training their 29+ HQP. Dr. Klassen's lab is currently limited to continuous blood pressure measurement as an index of cardiovascular function and requires this system to explore how the brain's neural messages affect heart and vascular function, and blood flow indices in the periphery and brain. Dr. Cheung's lab requires this state-of-the-art system to explore whether muscle and exercise performance impairments in different thermal environments stem from changes in blood flow delivery to the muscle and the brain. Dr. Klentrou's lab urgently requires this system to explore the integrative mechanisms, including bone and muscle blood flow, influencing osteokines, inflammation, and bone metabolism during exercise. Dr. Mündel's research requires this new system to grow basic knowledge of how fluctuations in female sex hormones accompanying pregnancy and menopause affect mechanisms affecting skin blood flow such as cardiac output, and the balance between skin and brain blood flow in the heat. This system will bolster our collaborative initiative that spans Cardiology, Neurology, Physiology, and Endocrinology. This new system will introduce new transdisciplinary HQP training experiences generating knowledge about mechanisms governing the cardiovascular system, the impact of biological sex hormones on cardiovascular function, and the integrative cardiovascular contribution to homeostatic physiological processes such as bone metabolism and thermoregulation.