Robert Boushel

Prospective Graduate Students / Postdocs

This faculty member is currently not looking for graduate students or Postdoctoral Fellows. Please do not contact the faculty member with any such requests.

Professor

Research Classification

Research Interests

Exercise, physiology, oxygen transport, cardiovascular regulation, bioenergetics, mitochondria

Relevant Thesis-Based Degree Programs

Affiliations to Research Centres, Institutes & Clusters

Research Options

I am available and interested in collaborations (e.g. clusters, grants).
I am interested in and conduct interdisciplinary research.
I am interested in working with undergraduate students on research projects.

Research Methodology

Exerimental integrated human physiology

Graduate Student Supervision

Doctoral Student Supervision

Dissertations completed in 2010 or later are listed below. Please note that there is a 6-12 month delay to add the latest dissertations.

Physiological computations underlying our internal representation of vestibular self-motion (2023)

Humans, as with other organisms, rely on sensing for survival. The principles implemented by the brain to interpret this sensory information; however, remain open for investigation. The vestibular sense provides information about self-motion and orientation, which in part allows us to properly perceive self-motion in space and to navigate the surrounding environment. The purpose of this thesis was to advance the current knowledge of how the brain processes sensory cues of motion. Because the mechanisms that govern the central integration of vestibular information are difficult to reveal through everyday experiences, we used experimentally controlled sensory stimuli to probe vestibular-related neurophysiological and psychophysical behaviours. Studies presented in this thesis emerge from a first principles approach looking at integration of signals from primary vestibular afferents using a novel sampling-based dynamical inference model. Experiment 1 characterized perceptual self-motion during and following constant vestibular stimulation and contextualized how percepts arise from the integration of differently adapting primary vestibular afferents based on the brain鈥檚 expectation about one鈥檚 self-motion. Experiment 2 examined why perception changes when different vestibular end-organs encodes the same gravity-neutral whole-body motion. We showed that vestibular otoliths provide the brain additional information of self-rotation, a role primarily attributed to the vestibular semicircular canals. Experiments 3 and 4 together evaluated electrical vestibular stimulation for probing the vestibular system in humans. Here, we used current physiological data of primary vestibular afferent responses to both mechanical and electrical stimuli to predict and evaluate their equivalence in central processing in humans. Subsequently, a real-time solution for human-in-the-loop vestibular sense modulation using electrical vestibular stimulation during active head movements was developed using our identified equivalency. Altogether, this thesis highlights that our perceptions are shaped by our past experiences. Likewise, we show that equivalent perceptual and oculomotor behaviours can be elicited by matching the predicted response of primary vestibular afferents. The novel work presented here offers new theoretical and applied principles about vestibular processing, and the sensory integration process at large. More importantly, this may lead to novel and testable hypotheses for future studies to build upon in both fundamental and clinical areas.

Master's Student Supervision

Theses completed in 2010 or later are listed below. Please note that there is a 6-12 month delay to add the latest theses.

Exercise testing in preventative health populations: predictors of achieving maximal exercise capacity (2024)

Background: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) testing in preventative health (PH) settings offers healthcare practitioners a feasible tool to stratify chronic disease risk in patients. While this has been established as a powerful tool of assessing mortality risk, it is still not included as part of routine healthcare. Understanding of CRF testing in PH populations could better inform best practices in its implementation. Objective: This study aimed to provide insight on exercise testing in PH populations exploring the CRF and clinical profiles of patients who underwent a maximal exercise test. Three questions were addressed: 1) What is the proportion of exercise tests in which maximal exercise capacity (MEC) is achieved? 2) Are there pre-test characteristics that affect the proportion of exercise tests in which MEC is achieved? 3) What determines exercise test termination in PH populations? Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for all patients completing an exercise test between 2022-2024. Exercise tests from 619 patients were included. The frequency of achieving MEC in a PH population was determined. Exercise mode, test protocol, and pre-test demographics were explored as predictors of achieving MEC. As well, reasons for exercise test termination were discussed.Results: In a PH population, 77% of individuals achieved MEC. Older age showed a widespread effect on achievement of MEC. Patients over the age of 70 were less likely to reach MEC in both cis-males (p<.001 and="" cis-females="" individuals="" who="" are="" active="" sedentary="" unknown="" pa="" behaviour="" those="" with="" elevated="" cvd="" risk="" using="" treadmills="" following="" the="" bruce-ramp="" protocol="" most="" common="" reason="" for="" termination="" an="" exercise="" test="" was="" fatigue="" or="" dyspnea="" conclusion:="" when="" working="" older="" adults="" clinicians="" should="" take="" extra="" care="" in="" understanding="" their="" experience="" as="" well="" factors="" impact="" on="" select="" mode="" best="" suited="" to="" patient.="" further="" assessment="" of="" crf="" profiles="" ph="" patients="" will="" contribute="" methodological="" rigour="" required="" evaluation="" programming="" support="" future="" explorations="" meaningful="" impacts="" health="" outcomes.="">

Publications

  • (2024)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 34 (8)
  • (2024)
    Cells, 13 (21)
  • (2024)
    Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 44 (1), 177-191
  • (2024)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 34 (12)
  • (2024)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 137 (5), 1220-1230
  • (2023)
    Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 209, 282-291
  • (2023)
    Redox Biology, 66
  • (2021)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 31 (12), 2249-2258
  • (2021)
    American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism, 321 (6), E753-E765
  • (2021)
    Journal of Physiology, 599 (16), 3853-3878
  • (2021)
    Scientific Reports, 11 (1)
  • (2020)
    Acta Physiologica, 229 (3)
  • (2019)
    Frontiers in Physiology, 10 (JUN)
  • (2019)
    Acta Physiologica, 225 (1)
  • (2018)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 125 (3), 820-831
  • (2018)
    International Journal of Obesity, 42 (3), 353-362
  • (2018)
    Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, 43 (9), 865-868
  • (2018)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 28 (5), 1552-1558
  • (2018)
    Frontiers in Physiology, 9 (AUG)
  • (2018)
    Frontiers in Physiology, 9 (AUG)
  • Effects of low-dose recombinant human erythropoietin treatment on cognitive performance (2017)
    Danish Medical Journal, 64 (9)
  • (2017)
    Experimental Physiology, 102 (11), 1535-1547
  • (2017)
    PLoS ONE, 12 (4)
  • (2017)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 27 (12), 1627-1637
  • (2016)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 26 (5), 518-527
  • (2016)
    FASEB Journal, 30 (1), 417-427
  • (2016)
    Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 903, 395-408
  • (2016)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 26 (11), 1268-1272
  • (2016)
    Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, 42 (1), 111-115
  • (2016)
    Frontiers in Endocrinology, 7 (AUG)
  • (2016)
    Frontiers in Physiology, 7 (SEP)
  • (2015)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 118 (1), 1-10
  • (2015)
    Experimental Physiology, 100 (10), 1118-1131
  • (2015)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 25, 144-157
  • (2015)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 25, 1-6
  • (2015)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 25 (6), e566-e575
  • (2015)
    Physiological Reports, 3 (7)
  • (2015)
    Journal of Physiology, 593 (23), 5157-5166
  • (2015)
    Journal of Physiology, 593 (20), 4649-4664
  • (2015)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 25, 135-143
  • (2015)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 25, 126-134
  • (2014)
    Circulation Journal, 78 (6), 1501-1506
  • (2014)
    Acta Physiologica, 211 (4), 574-584
  • (2014)
    PLoS ONE, 9 (7)
  • (2014)
    Acta Physiologica, 211 (1), 122-134
  • (2014)
    Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 42 (4), 169-174
  • (2013)
    Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 28 (5), 1068-1074
  • (2013)
    International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 45 (1), 68-75
  • (2013)
    Circulation, 128 (22), 2349-2350
  • (2013)
    Cell Metabolism, 17 (2), 210-224
  • (2013)
    Experimental Physiology, 98 (1), 245-255
  • (2012)
    Journal of Physiology, 590 (14), 3349-3360
  • Cryopreservation of human skeletal muscle impairs mitochondrial function (2012)
    Cryo-Letters, 33 (3), 170-176
  • (2012)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 302 (5)
  • (2012)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 302 (3)
  • (2012)
    Frontiers in Physiology, 3 MAR
  • (2012)
    Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology, 181 (3), 302-307
  • (2012)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 22 (5)
  • (2012)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 303 (1)
  • (2012)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 112 (6), 1059-1063
  • (2011)
    Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging, 31 (2), 124-131
  • (2011)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 300 (4)
  • (2011)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 110 (5), 1327-1333
  • (2011)
    Frontiers in Physiology, 2 OCT
  • (2011)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 110 (6), 1607-1614
  • (2011)
    Experimental Physiology, 96 (6), 590-598
  • (2011)
    Mitochondrion, 11 (2), 303-307
  • (2011)
    European Journal of Endocrinology, 165 (4), 631-637
  • (2011)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 21 (3), 420-430
  • (2010)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 108 (2), 378-386
  • (2010)
    Journal of Physiology, 588 (12), 2023-2032
  • (2010)
    Acta Physiologica, 199 (4), 367-383
  • (2010)
    Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 12 (9), 806-814
  • (2010)
    Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 95 (2), 857-863
  • (2010)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 299 (1)
  • (2009)
    Diabetologia, 52 (7), 1400-1408
  • (2009)
    Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research, 6 (4), 291-296
  • (2009)
    Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 94 (4), 1372-1378
  • (2009)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 19 (3), 364-372
  • (2009)
    Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 11 (4), 355-360
  • (2009)
    Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 85 (3), 243-251
  • (2009)
    Journal of Physiology, 587 (2), 477-490
  • (2009)
    Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental, 58 (8), 1145-1152
  • (2008)
    Journal of Physiology, 586 (22), 5575-5587
  • (2008)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 105 (2), 581-587
  • (2008)
    Journal of Physiology, 586 (1), 123-130
  • (2008)
    Tendinopathy in Athletes, 12, 60-68
  • (2008)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 104 (4), 1202-1210
  • (2008)
    Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, 33 (3), 593-600
  • (2008)
    Journal of Physiology, 586 (21), 5193-5202
  • (2008)
    Journal of Physiology, 586 (9), 2381-2391
  • (2008)
    PLoS ONE, 3 (8)
  • (2007)
    Journal of Physiology, 578 (1), 309-314
  • (2007)
    Diabetologia, 50 (4), 790-796
  • (2007)
    European Journal of Applied Physiology, 101 (4), 481-486
  • (2006)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 291 (2)
  • (2006)
    Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology, 151 (2-3), 132-140
  • (2006)
    Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, 31 (6), 675-683
  • (2006)
    Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 34 (4), 164-170
  • (2006)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 291 (3)
  • (2006)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 100 (2), 749
  • (2005)
    European Journal of Applied Physiology, 95 (4), 361-370
  • Metabolic activity and collagen turnover in human tendon in response to physical activity (2005)
    Journal of Musculoskeletal Neuronal Interactions, 5 (1), 41-52
  • (2005)
    Diabetes, 54 (11), 3089-3094
  • (2005)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 99 (3), 1189-1192
  • (2004)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 287 (4 56-4)
  • (2004)
    American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 287 (3 56-3)
  • (2004)
    Journal of Physiology, 557 (2), 346
  • (2004)
    Current Vascular Pharmacology, 2 (2), 191-197
  • (2003)
    Journal of Physiology, 551 (2), 683-689
  • (2003)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 284 (2 53-2)
  • (2003)
    Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, 28 (5), 754-773
  • (2003)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 284 (2 53-2)
  • (2002)
    Journal of Physiology, 543 (2), 691-698
  • (2002)
    Journal of Physiology, 545 (2), 715-728
  • (2002)
    Journal of Physiology, 542 (3), 977-983
  • (2002)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 92 (4), 1393-1400
  • Letters to the editor (2001)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 281 (2 50-2)
  • (2001)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 11 (4), 213-222
  • (2001)
    Circulation, 104 (15), 1785-1791
  • (2000)
    Journal of Physiology, 524 (1), 305-313
  • (2000)
    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 10 (6), 326-331
  • (2000)
    American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 279 (3 48-3)
  • (2000)
    Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 168 (4), 615-622
  • (2000)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 89 (5), 1868-1878
  • Relationship between muscle oxygenation and blood oxygen saturation in the quadriceps muscle during one-legged dynamic knee extension exercise (2000)
    Journal of Sports Sciences, 18 (7), 536
  • (1999)
    American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 277 (3 46-3)
  • (1999)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 87 (1), 332-338
  • (1998)
    Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 164 (3), 269-275
  • (1998)
    European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 79 (1), 41-48
  • Resetting of the carotid baroreflex during dynamic exercise (1998)
    FASEB Journal, 12 (5)
  • Carotid arterial baroreflex function in relation to active skeletal muscle mass (1997)
    FASEB Journal, 11 (3)
  • (1997)
    Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, 3194, 145-150
  • (1996)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 81 (2), 636-642
  • (1996)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 81 (1), 252-259
  • (1996)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 81 (5), 1891-1900
  • (1995)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 79 (6), 2154-2162
  • (1994)
    Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 151 (2), 199-207
  • (1991)
    Journal of Applied Physiology, 71 (3), 910-914

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