Nick Talbot - Cardiac Sciences - 'Effects on iron status on cardiorespiratory responses to hypoxia'

Iron availability has the potential to influence exercise capacity through its effects on red blood cell production, particularly at altitude where the erythropoietic drive is elevated. However, there is increasing evidence that iron levels per se may also influence cardiorespiratory function through direct effects on the pulmonary vasculature, cardiac function and cellular metabolism. This project would build upon previous research in Oxford and elsewhere to characterise the relationship between iron status and cardiorespiratory function during hypoxia, which has implications not only for athletic performance at altitude, but also for patients with chronic hypoxic lung disease. The project would be based around the study of integrative physiology in human volunteers, but we work in synergy with Prof Samira Lakhal-Littleton, whose laboratory has expertise in the use of preclinical models to dissect the mechanisms by which iron influences physiology at both a cellular and a systemic level.