Adrianne Huxtable

Adrianne Huxtable is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Physiology at the University of Oregon’s College of Arts and Sciences. Her research explores the neural control of breathing, focusing on how inflammation and early-life stressors disrupt respiratory networks in infants and adults. She earned her B.Sc. (Hons) in Human Physiology from the University of British Columbia and her Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Alberta, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

• Education:
  • B.Sc. (Hons) in Human Physiology, University of British Columbia
  • Ph.D. in Physiology, University of Alberta
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Wisconsin–Madison

The Huxtable Lab combines neuroscience, respiratory physiology, and immunology to investigate how stressors like inflammation and opioids during the perinatal period alter long-term respiratory function and motor plasticity in adulthood. The lab also examines the role of central nervous system cell types—neurons, astrocytes, and microglia—in coordinating breathing. Current projects include studying the impact of neonatal inflammation on adult neural immune responses and opioid-induced respiratory network disruptions.

Dr. Huxtable’s contributions include securing competitive grants such as NIH HL141249 and DA054295. Her work has been recognized in Around the O and TreatmentMagazine, and her lab’s research on Hocker et al. (2019) was selected for an eLife digest.

• Scientific Awards:
  • NIH HL141249 (2018-2023)
  • NIH DA054295 (2022-2024)
  • Parker B. Francis Fellowship (2013-2016)
  • Renee James Seed Grant (2021)

She has advised numerous undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers, including Austin Hocker (Ph.D. 2019), Sarah Beyeler (Ph.D. 2024), and Deanna Plunkett (B.S. thesis on microglia and neonatal immune challenges). The lab actively recruits motivated trainees at all levels and has supported projects like Emilee McDonald’s study of opioid receptor expression in neonatal brains.