Stephen Abbott

Stephen Abbott is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Virginia, where he leads research on neural mechanisms governing cardiovascular and respiratory control. His work integrates neuroanatomy, physiology, and disease modeling to investigate autonomic nervous system functions critical for homeostasis.

Dr. Abbott's research focuses on Cardiovascular Biology and Neuroscience, specifically examining how neural networks regulate breathing and blood flow across physiological states. His laboratory investigates breakdowns in cardiorespiratory homeostasis that underlie conditions like neurogenic hypertension and Parkinson's disease, utilizing animal models of disease including intermittent hypoxia and diet-induced obesity. Key neural structures studied include the retrotrapezoid nucleus, median preoptic nucleus, and carotid body.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2009-2018) reveals consistent emphasis on neural circuitry for autonomic control. His work demonstrates how specific brain regions (e.g., rostral ventrolateral medulla, supramammillary nucleus) modulate breathing, blood pressure, and thermoregulation through glutamatergic signaling and chemoreceptive mechanisms. Methodologically, his research combines optogenetics, physiological recordings, and targeted lesions to dissect pathways involved in CO₂ sensing, arousal, and stress responses.

Dr. Abbott directs a laboratory dedicated to understanding neural basis of cardiorespiratory homeostasis, employing transgenic models and advanced physiological techniques to explore how sensory feedback from the body is processed by the brain to maintain oxygen delivery and CO₂ removal during challenges like exercise, stress, and disease states.