Coffman research lab

extreme human physiology

Research in our lab is focused on heart and lung physiology under various physiological stressors and in several environmental conditions. We use clinical-quality equipment to collect data on human subjects, including measurements such as lung function, gas exchange, heart function, skin and core temperature, blood lactate, hemoglobin and hematocrit, and hydration levels. Working in the lab provides students with experience in reading the literature, preparing IRB protocols, interacting with 'patients', collecting and analyzing data, and presenting research findings on campus and at professional conferences.

Projects

Caffeine during Exercise with Asthma

Ayla Murphy '26 was curious about the effect of caffeine consumption on lung function in people with asthma both during and after running exercise. This study involved taking spirometry measurements on volunteers with mild asthma after taking a caffeine pill, their inhaler, or neither. With my mentorship, she designed the project, acquired IRB approval, collected data during summer research 2024, and presented her findings at a poster session on campus. Data collection continued during Fall 2024.

Water Temperature and Mammalian Dive Reflex

Chris Nicol '24 brought his interest in free diving to the lab for a research project on the mammalian dive reflex. This study involved submerging research participants in warm and cold water in a tub, shown above, while measuring their heart rate and metabolic responses. With my mentorship, he designed the project, acquired IRB approval, collected data during summer research 2022, and presented his findings at a poster session on campus. His work was even highlighted in The Hatchet!

Lung Function during Exercise in the Heat

When you exercise in hot temperatures, you feel your heart racing, right? This research takes it a step further to understand how exercising in the heat impacts lung diffusing capacity, or DLCO. DLCO quantifies how well gases (like oxygen) transfer from your lungs into your blood for eventual use by working tissues. Data from our first study was published last summer (2023), and we finished data collection for the follow up study in Spring 2024. Long term plans involve applying for a grant to continue this work.

Lab Capabilities and Equipment