My work investigates the neural output to human inspiratory muscles and how it is related to mechanical effectiveness for breathing. The aim is to discover how this relationship can change with respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnoea. I also examine the changes in breathing muscle control in people with spinal cord injury. This work promises new understanding of the basic control of respiration and how it changes with disease.
I am a neurophysiologist who examines the neural control of movement and the interaction of sensation and movement in human subjects. I study cortical and motoneuronal events during exercise and muscle fatigue, how cortical connections to the motoneurones change with practice of motor tasks, and whether they can be changed artificially. I also study proprioception i.e. the sensations related to relative position and movement of parts of the body and the production of muscle force.