Health and Integrative Physiology (HIP) Laboratory

The focus of the Health and Integrative Physiology (HIP) laboratory is to understand how the respiratory and cardiovascular systems interact, respond and adapt to physiological stressors such as exercise, disease, and hypoxia. The interactions between the heart, vasculature, lungs, and muscles of respiration are complex with many unanswered questions remaining. Moreover, the importance of biological sex is rarely considered when exploring the complexities of cardio-respiratory interactions. A number of ongoing research studies have been designed to blend these themes. An important aim of ongoing work is to provide significant training opportunities for highly-qualified trainees ranging from undergraduates to post doctoral fellows.

The HIP lab is located in the Chan Gunn Pavilion on the campus of UBC. It is equipped with techniques and equipment necessary to study the respiratory and cardiovascular systems in humans at rest and during exercise. We use Doppler ultrasound to measure blood flow to limbs. We make continuous beat-by-beat measurements of arterial blood pressure. We have recently begun to record muscle sympathetic nerve activity. Techniques to measure ventilatory responsiveness to chemical stimuli (oxygen, carbon dioxide) are in place. Data collection/analysis hardware & software are available (PowerLab and LabView). The above methods permit simultaneous measures of blood flow, vascular resistance, autonomic activity, and the quantification of the temporal alignment between the neural, ventilatory and hemodynamic responses to physiological perturbations. In addition, standard exercise physiology equipment is housed within the lab.

Research in the HIP lab is supported by the following granting agencies:

• Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
• Canadian Foundation for Innovation
• British Columbia Lung Association
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research

People

Note: See a list of publications on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine – search Sheel AW.

Selected Recent Publications

* Indicates current or former student from the HIP lab

Mitchell RA, Hind A, Ferguson ON, Flynn M, Arnold J, Dhillon S, Eves ND, Sheel AW and Guenette JA. Multidimensional assessment of exertional dyspnea in young healthy males and females that select unsatisfied inspiration at peak exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology (in press)

Leahy MG*, Kipp S* and Sheel AW. The effect of waistbands on intra-abdominal pressure and respiratory mechanics during bodyweight exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (in press)

Stothers B, Hung A, Gonçalves PEO, Harris OD, Pei LX, Arnold JA, van de Kerkhof T, Borduas-Dedekind N, Sheel AW and Koehle MS. Examining the effect of salbutamol use in ozone air pollution by people with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Physiological Reports 12(21):E70117, p.1-11, 2024

Payne OT*, Leahy MG*, Burr JF, Road JD, McKenzie DC and Sheel AW. The effect of aerobic fitness on exercise-induced diaphragmatic fatigue in females. Journal of Applied Physiology 137(5):1145-1157, 2024

Angus SA, Taylor JL*, Mann LM, Williams AM, Stöhr EJ, Au JS, Sheel AW and Dominelli PB. A case report of eliminating respiratory pressure generation via mechanical ventilation in a conscious human during exercise: effect on cardiac function. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 49(10):1436-1440, 2024

Benbaruj JM*, Leahy MG*, Jackman R*, Rae T*, Boushel R, Foster GE and Sheel AW. Sex-based diferences in the muscle metaboreflex are consistent between limb and respiratory muscle. Journal of Applied Physiology 137(5):1220-1230, 2024

Leahy MG*, Busch SA*, Thrall SF, Hillen SJ, Sheel AW and Foster GE. Reflex sympathetic activation to inspiratory muscle loading is attenuated in females relative to males. American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology 327(1)H:28-37, 2024

Harris OD, Gonçalves PEO, Hung A, Stothers B, Bougault V, Sheel AW and Koehle MS. Ozone exposure limits cardiorespiratory function during maximal cycling exercise in endurance athletes. Journal of Applied Physiology 136(6):1507-1515, 2024

Kipp S*, Leahy MG* and Sheel AW. Sports bra restriction on respiratory mechanics during exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 56(6):1168-1176, 2024

Molgat-Seon Y*, Sawatzky MAT, Dominelli PB, Kirby M, Guenette JA, Bourbeau J, Tan WC and Sheel AW on behalf of the CanCOLD collaborative research group. Airway size and its association with exertional dyspnea in healthy males and females. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 149(2):223-235, 2024

Dominelli PB* and Sheel AW. The pulmonary response to exercise. Advances in Physiology Education 48(2):238-251, 2024

Kipp S*, Arn SR*, Leahy MG*, Guenette JA and Sheel AW. The metabolic cost of breathing during exercise: effects of age and sex. Journal of Applied Physiology 137(2):329-342, 2024

Leahy MG*, Benbaruj JM*, Payne OT*, Foster GE and Sheel AW. The human muscle metaboreflex contribution to cardiorespiratory control in males and females. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 49(4):414-525, 2024

Grishin NK*, De Souza AM, Fairbairn J, Sheel AW, Puterman E, Blydt-Hansen T, Potts JE and Armstrong KR. An 8-week virtual exercise training program for pediatric solid organ transplant recipients. Pediatric Exercise Science 36(3):135-145, 2023

Angus SA, Taylor JL*, Mann LM, Williams AM, Stöhr EJ, Au JS, Sheel AW and Dominelli PB. Attenuating intrathoracic pressure swings decreases cardiac output at different intensities of exercise. Journal of Physiology 601(21):4807-4821, 2023

Shiffman VJ*, Rose P, Hughes B, Koehle MS, McKinney J, McKenzie DC, Leahy MG, Kipp S, Peters CM* and Sheel AW. Exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia in female masters athletes. Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology 315:104099, p.1-9, 2023

Peters CM*, Dempsey JA, Hopkins SR and Sheel AW. Is the lung built for exercise? Advances and unresolved questions. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 55(12):2143-2159, 2023

Ramsook AH, Schaeffer MR, Mitchell RA, Dhillon SS, Milne KM, Ferguson O, Puyat J, Koehle MS, Sheel AW and Guenette JA. Voluntary activation of the diaphragm after inspiratory pressure threshold loading. Physiological Reports 11(2):e15575, p.1-16, 2023

Leitão Filho FS, Peters CM*, Sheel AW, Yang J, Nislow C, Lam S, Leung JM and Sin DD. Characterization of the lower airways and oral microbiota in healthy young persons in the community. Biomedicines 11(3):841, p.1-17, 2023

Leahy MG*, Kipp S* and Sheel AW. The respiratory physiology of exercise: age and sex considerations. Current Opinion in Physiology 33:100652, p.1-7, 2023

Shafer BM, Nardone M, Incognito AV, Vermeulen TD, Teixeira AL, Millar PH, Sheel AW, West C, Ayas N and Foster GE. Acute hypoxia elicits lasting reductions in the sympathetic action potential transduction of arterial blood pressure. Journal of Physiology 601(3):669-687, 2023

Leahy MG*, Kipp S*, Benbaruj JM*, Charkoudian N, Foster GE, Koehle MS and Sheel AW. Effects of sex and age on the respiratory muscle metaboreflex. Journal of Physiology 601(3):689-702, 2023

Gerson EAM*, Dominelli PB, Leahy MG*, Kipp S*, Guenette JA, Archiza B* and Sheel AW. The effect of proportional assist ventilation on the electrical activity of the human diaphragm during exercise. Experimental Physiology 108(2):296-306, 2023

Reinhard PA*, Archiza B*, Welch JF*, Benbaruj JM*, Guenette JA, Koehle MS and Sheel AW. Effects of hypoxia on exercise-induced diaphragm fatigue in healthy males and females. Physiological Reports 11(2):e15589, p.1-13, 2023

Potential Students:

Students interested in pursuing a graduate degree or a post doctoral fellowship are encouraged to contact Dr. Sheel directly (bill.sheel@ubc.ca).

Phone: 604 822 4459
bill.sheel@ubc.ca