معرفی
Dr. Irma Rukhadze is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics at Albany Medical College. Her research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), particularly the role of brainstem noradrenergic (NA) neurons and genioglossus (GG) muscle activity across sleep-wake states. She co-leads the Sleep and Sleep Disorders Laboratory with Dr. Fenik, utilizing chemogenetic techniques, in vivo electrophysiology, and transgenic mouse models to investigate the anatomical and functional interactions between NA neurons and upper airway (UA) muscles. Her work is funded by the NIH.
- Current Research: Functional mapping of brainstem NA neurons (A1/C1, A5, LC, SubC) in UA muscle control, aging-related neural injury in NA systems, and chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) effects on afferent/efferent projections.
- Techniques: Chemogenetics (DREADDs), Channel Rhodopsin2-assisted circuit mapping, immunohistochemistry, Cre-driver transgenic mice, plethysmography.
Research Trends: Her recent publications explore:
- REM/NREM sleep state-specific NA neuron activity
- Age-related degeneration of LC NA neurons and OSA prevalence
- Sex differences in OSA pathophysiology
- CIH-induced neuroplasticity in aminergic terminals
- Computational modeling of brainstem circuits for UA control
- Cholinergic and noradrenergic interactions in hypoglossal motoneurons
Collaborations: Dr. Rukhadze collaborates with Dr. Fenik on NIH-funded OSA research and works with transgenic mouse models (DBH-cre, ChR2) to study sleep-related neural mechanisms. Her lab aims to develop pharmacological therapies and interventional strategies for OSA, integrating findings on NA excitation withdrawal during sleep and its clinical implications for cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative comorbidities.
