Teresa Pitts, Ph.D.
Associate Professor & Endowed Chair in the Department of Neurological Surgery
Director of Research for the Division of Communicative Disorders
Laboratory of Airway Protection | twitter @tpittslab
Research Focus:
The upper airway regulates the movement of air, food and liquid along the appropriate path to the lungs or esophagus. The vagus and other cranial/spinal nerves ensure the integrity of this system by activation of airway protective behaviors. My laboratory studies the organ to brain/spinal cord to muscle communication pathways using a variety of models and methods. We strive to provide highly translational information by using clinical tests routinely performed on a variety of patient populations- including videofluoroscopy and laryngeal endoscopy. The overall goal is to produce targeted treatments to allow people to eat and drink with freedom.
If you are interested in volunteering in the lab or perusing graduate or post-graduate training please email!
Departmental Affiliations:
Department of Otolaryngology- Division of Communication Disorders
Department of Physiology
Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology
Current Funding:
NIH- R01- Regulation of swallow and the effects of high cervical spinal cord injury
NIH- R01- Influence of opioids on the brainstem respiration network
NIH- R01- Modeling the role of the NTS in the neurogenesis of airway defensive behaviors
Certifications/ Licensure:
2015- State of Kentucky- Speech-Language Pathology
2007- Certified Clinically Competent- American Speech and Hearing Association (CCC-SLP)
Honors & Awards:
2011- Outstanding Young Alumnus to the Department of Speech-Language and Hearing Science in the College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida
2013- Outstanding Alumni Award for the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Central Florida
2017- New Investigator Award- Respiratory Section- American Physiological Society
2020- Giles F. Filley Memorial Award for Excellence in Respiratory Physiology and Medicine
Teaching:
CMDS 600 Research Methods- Fall
NCSI 600 Translational Neurosciences- Select Lecture/s
CMDS 699 Thesis/Research Project
University Committees:
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee- Department of Neurological Surgery & KSCIRC
MD/PHD Advisory Committee- UofL Graduate School
Current Lab Members:
Kimberly Iceman, PhD- Assistant Professor
M. Nicholas Musselwhite, PhD- Post-doctoral Fellow
Michael Frazure, MS- Graduate Student, Department of Physiology
Kellyanna Young, MS- Graduate Student, Translation Neuroscience
Clinton Greene, DVM - Veterinary Clinical Advisor
Alyssa Brown- Medical Student & Graduate Student Mayo Clinic