Paul D. Chantler

Paul D. Chantler is a Professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine with appointments in the Division of Exercise Physiology, Department of Neuroscience, and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. He directs the Human Performance Lab, the Masters of Science in Exercise Physiology program, and co-directs the PhD program in Clinical and Translational Sciences at WVU. His interdisciplinary Cardio-and Cerebro-Vascular (CCVR) Research Laboratory operates with both human and animal models to investigate vascular biology.

Dr. Chantler earned his BSc in Sports Science and Exercise Physiology (2001) and PhD in Exercise Physiology (2004) from Liverpool John Moores University, UK. He completed postdoctoral training at the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science in Baltimore, MD (2005-2009) under Dr. Edward Lakatta and Dr. Samer Najjar.

Dr. Chantler's research focuses on vascular biology and how disease states (obesity, aging) or conditions (chronic stress, electronic cigarette use, exercise) mediate vascular function. His laboratory has demonstrated that perivascular adipose tissue plays a significant role in vascular health and that chronic stress creates a pro-oxidative microenvironment that impacts the cerebrovascular network. His recent work examines how electronic cigarette exposure affects vascular function in adults and developing offspring, with particular attention to maternal vaping effects.

Analysis of Dr. Chantler's recent publications reveals a strong trajectory toward understanding the vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). His work increasingly examines how stress and electronic cigarette exposure affect cerebrovascular function, with growing emphasis on developmental programming effects when exposures occur during pregnancy. The research employs sophisticated techniques including vascular reactivity measurements, imaging, and genetic models to uncover mechanisms linking vascular dysfunction to neurological outcomes.

• NIH, NINDS BINP R01 NS117754 (2021-2025): Psychosocial Stress-Induced Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: The Role of Xanthine Oxidase ($2,032,732)
• NIH, NIEHS R21ES033026-01 (2020-2022): Effects of Electronic Cigarette Wattage Setting on Vascular Harm ($418,000)
• AHA Collaborative Sciences Award #20CSA35320107 (2020-2023): Vascular Dysfunction in Offspring Exposed to Maternal Vaping ($750,000)

Dr. Chantler has mentored 4 PhD and 7 MS students as primary mentor and actively involves undergraduate students through WV INBRE, RAP programs, and the American Physiological Society Summer Research Program. His laboratory is part of the Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research and the Center for Inhalation Toxicology, providing a collaborative environment for translational vascular research.