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Eugene E. Nattie Jr, MD

Contact Information

Professional Interests

Dr. Nattie’s research focuses on the role of the brainstem in the regulation of breathing and blood pressure. Specifically, he is interested in central chemoreception, in how, where, and why the brain can sense changes in CO2 and/or pH and, as a result, effect changes in breathing, sympathetic nervous system outflow, and blood pressure. These CO2 sensing functions appear to be located at many sites within in the brainstem. The mechanism of sensing CO2 may involve a specific pH or CO2 sensitive membrane receptor or it may involve effects on some membrane or synaptic function in an indirect manner. Destruction or transgenic disruption via virus injection of the region labeled the retrotrapezoid nucleus in the ventrolateral medulla results in a severe loss of CO2 responsiveness. Destruction or transgenic disruption via virus injection of nearby neurons results in decreased blood pressure with but minor effects on breathing. In addition to the study of central chemoreception, Dr. Nattie's lab is evaluating the role of serotonin neurons in unanesthetised neonatal rat and mouse models in the regulation of breathing and heart rate in the early postnatal period. These medullary serotonergic neuron groups may be homologous with brainstem regions described as abnormal in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) victims.

Rotations and Thesis Projects

Rotations can involve studies in adult rats of central chemoreceptor involvement in breathing and blood pressure regulation or in newborn rats and transgenic mice of the physiological role of brainstem serotonin (5HT) neurons in the breathing and blood pressure responses to asphyxia and hypoxia. All studies are in unanesthetized animals.

Grant Information

Program Project Grant from NICHD on the “Ventral Medulla and SIDS” with funding until 4/2018

R01 on Central Chemoreception funded until 4/2018.

Courses Taught

Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiology for year-one medical students and in the year two course on the Scientific Basis of Medicine. Also participates in year-1 PEMM courses.

Mentoring Information

Dr. Nattie is not accepting rotation or thesis students for 2016.17.

Biography

Gene has taught as a small group leader and lecturer in the year one Cardiovascular and Respiratory physiology course since 1975. He has also lectured in the year one Neuroscience course and in the Scientific Basis of Medicine Respiration Course. He has been a mentor of many graduate students in Physiology and Neurobiology. He has also offered a fourth year elective on Physiology in the Intensive Care Unit, which is a physiologically based tutorial based on cases.