Respiratory & Sleep Physiology


Principal Investigator: Vahid Mohsenin, MD Associate Fellow, John B. Pierce Laboratory Director, Yale Center for Sleep Medicine Professor in Internal Medicine Yale University School of Medicine
Research Interests Our research is in the area of sleep-related breathing disorders and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. We are exploring the mechanisms of hypertension during sleep and exposure to hypoxia in the setting of sleep apnea. The muscle sympathetic neural activity and vasoconstrictor response to hypoxia are studied to determine the role of chemoreceptors in the development of hypertension. Another area of inquiry is gender differences in the upper airway mechanics and dimensions in the development of sleep apnea. Men are more prone to develop obstructive sleep apnea than women despite having larger airway size and similar neural activation of upper airway muscles. Further understanding of the mechanisms of blood pressure regulation during sleep and upper airway control can lead to better care of millions of individuals suffering from sleep-related breathing disorders.
Current Projects The majority of Dr. Mohsenin's current projects take place at the Yale Center for Sleep Medicine where he is currently the Director.
Representative Publications DuBois, A.B., J.S. Douglas, J.T. Stitt, and V. Mohsenin. Production and absorption of nitric oxide gas in the nose. J. Appl. Physiol. 1998, 84:1217-1224. D'Ambrosio, C.M., and V. Mohsenin. Sleep in asthma. Clinics in Chest Medicine 1998, 19:127-137. DuBois, A.B., J.B. Douglas, and V. Mohsenin. Production and absorption of nitric oxide in the respiratory tract: trachea, bronchi, and terminal bronchiols. J. Appl. Physiol. 1999, 86:159-167. Roux, F., C. D'Ambrosio, and V. Mohsenin. Sleep-related breathing disorders and cardiovascular disease. Am. J. Med. 2000, 108:396-402. Mohsenin, V. Sleep-related breathing disorders: Current treatment options. Clin. Pulm. Med. 2001, 8:95-100. Mohsenin, V. Sleep-related breathing disorders and risk of stroke. Stroke 2001, 32:1271-1278. Mohsenin, V. Gender Differences in the Expression of Sleep Disordered Breathing: Role of Upper Airway Dimensions. Chest 2001, 120:1442-1447.