Carie  R. Boychuk, Ph.D.

Homeostasis refers to the process by which the body maintains a constant internal environment. In the orchestration of homeostasis, brain networks involved in autonomic and neuroendocrine function coordinate multiple peripheral physiological systems through complex network processing. Our laboratory is particularly interested in how the brain monitors, processes, and integrates energy homeostatic signals under normal physiology and pathological disease states.

Related diseases: Diabetes, Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease

Techniques: Electrophysiology, in vivo blood glucose and pressure, molecular biology

• Professional Background

  Education

  • 2009 - PhD - Liberal Arts and Sciences - University of Florida
  • 2004 - BS - Liberal Arts and Sciences - University of Florida

  Appointments

  • 7/2017 - Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Physiology, San Antonio

• Instruction & Training

  • 1/2018 - Present, Human Physiology, The University of Texas Health Science Center

• Research & Grants

  Autonomic Neurophysiology | Gaba Receptors and Vagal Circuits

  Related diseases: Diabetes, Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease

  Techniques applied in my research: Electrophysiology, in vivo blood glucose and pressure and molecular biology

  Research profile

  Grants

  Federal

  Funding Agency NIH (NIDDK) Title Neural circuitry in the dorsal vagal complex Status Complete Period 4/2015 - 3/2020 Role Co-Investigator Grant Detail Objective: To identify the mechanisms underlying and effects of altered GABAergic inhibition of vagal motor neurons in mouse models of diabetes.

  Private

  Funding Agency American Heart Association: National Title Neurosteroid Modulation Of Tonic GABAA Receptor Plasticity And Its Implications In Diabetes Status Active Period 7/2016 - 6/2020 Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail Objective: To identify the role sex steroid play in synaptic transmission to vagal motor neuron in female mouse models of diabetes.

• Publications

  Journal Article

  Smith, BN, and Boychuk, CR. Sex and estrous cycle regulation of the dorsal motor nucleus and parasympathetic output (in prep) 2019 Jan;. Boychuk, CR, Boychuk, JA, Butler, CR, Smith, KC, Peterson, LE, McCarthy, JJ, and Smith, BN. Deconstructing a hindbrain inhibitory microcircuit involved in rapid, unidirectional vagal-mediated glucose regulation (in prep) 2019 Jan;. Boychuk, CR, Smith, KCs, and Smith, BN. Functional and molecular plasticity of I? and I?1 GABAA receptor subunits in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus after experimentally induced diabetes J Neurophysiol 2017 Nov;118(5):2833-2841. Boychuk, CR and Smith, BN. Glutamatergic drive facilitates synaptic inhibition in dorsal vagal motor neurons after experimentally-induced diabetes J Neurophysiol 2016 Jun;. Boychuk, CR*, Gyarmati, P*, Xu, H, and Smith, BN. Glucose sensing by GABAergic neurons in the mouse nucleus tractus solitarius J Neurophysiol 2015 Aug;114(2):999-1007. Boychuk, CR, Halmos, K, and Smith, BN. Diabetes induces GABA receptor plasticity in murine vagal motor neurons J Neurophysiol 2015 Jul;114(1):1164-1174. Xu, H, Boychuk, JA, Boychuk, CR, Uteshev, VV and Smith, BN. Nicotine enhances inhibition of the mouse vagal motor neurons by modulating excitability of premotor GABAergic neurons in the nucleus tractus solitaries J Neurophysiol 2015 Feb;113(4):1165-1174. Dergacheva, O, Boychuk, CR and Mendelowitz, D. Developmental changes in GABAergic neurotransmission to pre-sympathetic and cardiac parasympathetic neurons in the brainstem J Neurophysiol 2013 Aug;110(3):672-679. Boychuk CR*, Zsombok A*, Tasker, JG, Smith, BN. Rapid glucocorticoid-induced activation of TRP and CB1 receptors causes biphasic modulation of glutamate release in gastric-related hypothalamic preautonomic neurons Front Neurosci 2013 Jan;7. Boychuk CR, Woerman, AL, Mendelowitz, D. Modulation of bulbospinal RVLM neurons by hypoxia/hypercapnia but not medullary respiratory activity Hypertension 2012 Dec;60(6):1491-1497. Bateman RJ, Boychuk CR, Philbin KE, Mendelowitz D. Beta adrenergic receptor modulation of neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons in the nucleus ambiguus Neuroscience 2012 May;210:58-66. Boychuk CR, Hayward LF. Prenatal nicotine exposure alters postnatal cardiorespiratory integration in young male but not female rats Exp Neurol 2011 Dec;232(2):212-221. Boychuk CR, Bateman RJ, Philbin KE, Mendelowitz D. Alpha1-adrenergic receptors facilitate inhibitory neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons in the nucleus ambiguus Neuroscience 2011 Oct;193:154-161. Boychuk CR, Fuller DD, Hayward LF. Sex differences in heart rate variability during sleep following prenatal nicotine exposure in rat pups Behav Brain Res 2011 May;219(1):82-91. Fuller DD, Dougherty BJ, Sandhu MS, Doperalski NJ, Reynolds CR, Hayward LF. Prenatal nicotine exposure alters respiratory long-term facilitation in neonatal rats Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2009 Dec;169(3):333-337.