Woman wearing a white labcoat holding a clipboard, another using an instrument on a research study participant

CHARLab students conduct data collection for a research study.

McGill.CA / Cardiovascular Health and Autonomic Regulation

Publications

Selection of our CHARLab publications

For a complete list of publications, visit the NIH website.

  1. Ketone monoester ingestion improves endothelial function during hyperglycemia in females with polycystic ovary syndrome.
    • Lead author: Danielle Berbrier (CHARLab PhD Candidate)
    • Citation: Berbrier DE, Huckins W, Delage SI, Van Berkel EK, Hannaian SJ, Myara R, Oluwakanyisola NO, Chung T, Tulandi T, Reinblatt SL, Lord RN, Churchward-Venne TA, Usselman CW. Ketone monoester ingestion improves endothelial function during hyperglycemia in females with polycystic ovary syndrome. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, Online ahead of print.
       
  2. Oral glucose tolerance test-induced increases in femoral blood flow are absent in non-obese females with polycystic ovary syndrome.
    • Lead author: Danielle Berbrier (CHARLab PhD Candidate)
    • Citation: Berbrier DE, Huckins W, Van Berkel EK, Delage SI, Hannaian SJ, Myara R, Okafor K, Chung T, Tulandi T, Reinblatt SL, Lord RN, Churchward-Venne TA, Usselman CW. Oral glucose tolerance test-induced increases in femoral blood flow are absent in non-obese females with polycystic ovary syndrome. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 329(4): E463-76, 2025.
       
  3. Sex differences in the relationship between pain and autonomic outflow during a cold pressor test.
    • Lead author: Laila Chaudhry (CHARLab & Experimental Psychology PhD Candidate)
    • Citation: Chaudhry LA, Coovadia Y, Schwende BK, Berbrier DE, Huckins W, Saboune J, Skolnik DA, Van Berkel EK, Mogil JS, Usselman CW. Sex differences in the relationship between pain and autonomic outflow during a cold pressor test. Biol Sex Diff, 16: 60, 2025.
       
  4. The hyperemic response to exercise is blunted in females with polycystic ovary syndrome.
    • Lead author: Will Huckins (CHARLab PhD Candidate)
    • Citation: Huckins W, Delage SI, Berbrier DE, Skolnik D, Keightley H, Usselman CW. The hyperemic response to exercise is blunted in females with polycystic ovary syndrome. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 329(2): R297-307, 2025.

      Podcast Alert!
      The back story behind this paper and the corresponding study was the focus of a CHARLab Podcast episode hosted by the CHARLab’s very own Honours undergraduate student, Etay Ben-Eli. Give this video podcast a watch to hear Will’s story and to learn more about the link between polycystic ovary syndrome and leg blood flow responses to exercise!


       
  5. Acute hyperoxia elicits decreases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity and action potential activation in a sex-dependent manner.
    • Lead author: Jinan Saboune (CHARLab PhD Candidate)
    • Citation: Saboune J, Schwende BK, Debray A, Usselman CW, Davenport MH, Steinback CD. Acute hyperoxia elicits decreases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity and action potential activation in a sex-dependent manner. Auton Neurosci, 260: 103287, 2025.
       
  6. Is cardiovascular disease risk in transgender, gender-diverse, and non-binary adults associated with autonomic imbalance? (Invited review)
    • Lead author: Keila Turino Miranda (CHARLab PhD Student)
    • Citation: Turino Miranda K, Schwende BK, Duval A, Streed Jr. CG, Delage SI, Chokly K, Hodgins V, Usselman CW. Is cardiovascular disease risk in transgender, gender-diverse, and non-binary adults associated with autonomic imbalance? Auton Neurosci,260: 103283, 2025.
       
  7. The impact of androgens on neurovascular blood pressure control in polycystic ovary syndrome: recent advances and translational approaches. (Review)
    • Lead authors: Zoe Adams (Postdoctoral Fellow, Cardiff-Metropolitan University) & Danielle Berbrier (CHARLab PhD Candidate)
    • Citation: Adams ZH, Berbrier DE, Schwende BK, Huckins W, Richards C, Rees A, Usselman CW, Lord RN. The impact of androgens on neurovascular blood pressure control in polycystic ovary syndrome: recent advances and translational approaches. J Physiol, 603(10): 2937-57, 2025.
       
  8. Polycystic ovary syndrome potentiates blood pressure and vascular responses to the cold pressor test
    • Lead author: Danielle Berbrier (CHARLab PhD Candidate)
    • Download: Polycystic ovary (...) PDF
    • Citation: Berbrier DE, Coovadia Y, Malenda D, Usselman CW. Polycystic ovary syndrome potentiates blood pressure and vascular responses to the cold pressor test. J Appl Physiol, 138(2): 404-14, 2025
       
  9. Guidelines on the use of sex and gender in cardiovascular research. (Invited review)
    • Lead author: Charlotte Usselman (CHARLab Principal Investigator)
    • Download: Guidelines on the use of sex (...) PDF
    • Citation: Usselman CW, Lindsey ML, Robinson AT, Habecker BA, Taylor CE, Merryman MD, Kimmerly D, Bender JR, Regensteiner JG, Moreau KL, Pilote L, Wenner MM, O’Brien M, Yarovinsky TO, Stachenfeld NS, Charkoudian N, Denfeld QE, Moreira-Bouchard JD, Pyke WG, DeLeon-Pennell KY. Guidelines on the use of sex and gender in cardiovascular research. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 326(1): H238-55, 2024.

      Podcast Alert!
      This article was highlighted in the AJP-Heart and Circ Podcast episode 332, in which some of the authors (including Dr. Usselman, who led the guidelines team!) were interviewed about the process of putting together the journal’s first-ever sex and gender guidelines as well as the major take home messages of the guidelines.
      Listen to the AJP-Heart and Circulatory Physiology Podcast
       
  10. Is polycystic ovary syndrome associated with elevated muscle sympathetic nerve activity? (Invited review)
    • Lead author: Alicia Duval (CHARLab PhD Student & Clinical Psychology PhD Student in the Department of Psychology at McGill)
    • Download: Is polycystic ovary syndrome (...) PDF
    • Citation: Duval A, Huckins W, Berbrier DE, Usselman CW. Is polycystic ovary syndrome associated with elevated muscle sympathetic nerve activity? Exp Physiol, 108(10): 1250-6, 2023.
       
  11. Limb-specific muscle sympathetic nerve activity responses to the cold pressor test.
    • Lead author: Yasmine Coovadia (CHARLab PhD Candidate)
    • Citation: Coovadia Y, Schwende BK, Taylor CE, Usselman CW. Limb-specific muscle sympathetic nerve activity responses to the cold pressor test. Autonomic Neuroscience, 251: 103146, 2024.
       
  12. The effects of sex and menstrual cycle phase on sympathetic action potential recruitment patterns during hypercapnic-hypoxic apnea.
    • Lead author: Yasmine Coovadia (CHARLab PhD Student)
    • Citation: Coovadia Y, Shoemaker JK, Usselman CW. The effects of sex and menstrual cycle phase on sympathetic action potential recruitment patterns during hypercapnic-hypoxic apnea. Auton Neurosci 247: 103093, 2023.
       
  13. Health-related physical fitness in women with polycystic ovary syndrome versus controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
    • Lead author: Domenica Cirone (CHARLab MSc Student)
    • Download: Health-related physical (...) PDF
    • Citation: Cirone D, Berbrier DE, Gibbs JC, Usselman CW. Health-related physical fitness in women with polycystic ovary syndrome versus controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet 309(1): 17-36, 2024.
       
  14. Effects of androgen excess and body mass index on endothelial function in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
    • Lead author: Danielle Berbrier (CHARLab MSc Student)
    • Download: Effects of androgen excess (...) PDF
    • Citation: Berbrier DE, Leone CA, Adler TE, Bender JR, Taylor HS, Stachenfeld NS, Usselman CW. Effects of androgen excess and body mass index on endothelial function in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. J Appl Physiol 134: 868-78, 2023.
       
  15. Correlations between salivary- and blood-derived gonadal hormone assessments and implications for inclusion of female participants in research studies.
    • Lead author: Seasy Huang (CHARLab MSc Student)
    • Download: Correlations between salivary (...) PDF
    • Citation: Huang T, Howse FM, Stachenfeld NS, Usselman CW. Correlations between salivary- and blood-derived gonadal hormone assessments and implications for inclusion of female participants in research studies. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 324(1): H33-46, 2023.
       
  16. Sex differences in sympathetic neurovascular and neurohemodynamic relationships during cold pressor test. (access is free!)
    • Lead author: Yasmine Coovadia (CHARLab PhD student)
    • Download: Sex differences in sympathetic (...) PDF
    • Citation: Coovadia Y, Adler TE, Martin-Arrowsmith PW, Usselman CW. Sex differences in sympathetic neurovascular and neurohemodynamic relationships during cold pressor test. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 322(5): R411-20, 2022.
       
  17. Sex differences in dynamic blood pressure regulation: beat-by-beat responses to muscle sympathetic nerve activity. (access is free!)
    • Lead author: Yasmine Coovadia (CHARLab MSc student)
    • Download: Sex differences in dynamic blood (...) PDF
    • Citation: Coovadia Y, Adler TE, Steinback CD, Fraser GM, Usselman CW. Sex differences in dynamic blood pressure regulation: beat-by-beat responses to muscle sympathetic nerve activity. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 319(3): H531-8, 2020

      Podcast Alert!
      The back story behind Yaz’s journey from data collection to publication of this paper was the focus of the first ever Untitled CHARLab Podcast! Ever wonder what it’s like to be a grad student in a brand new lab with malfunctioning equipment and a newly minted assistant professor as a supervisor?? Throw in an insatiable desire to understand the nature of sex differences in the regulation of blood pressure, and you’ve got Yasmine Coovadia’s MSc story!! Give this video podcast a watch to hear her story and to learn more about the etiology of the term “balls to the wall” and why grad students eat chicken nuggets but profs eat chicken tenders!


       
  18. Device-guided slow breathing reduces blood pressure and sympathetic activity in young normotensive individuals of both sexes. (access is free!)
    • Lead author: Tessa Adler (CHARLab MSc student)
    • Download: Device-guided slow breathing (...) PDF
    • Citation: Adler TE, Coovadia Y, Cirone D, Khemakhem ML, Usselman CW. Device-guided slow breathing reduces blood pressure and sympathetic activity in young normotensive individuals of both sexes. J Appl Physiol, 127(4): 1042-9, 2019

      Podcast Alert!
      In this episode of our series going behind the scenes of graduate student publications, we chat with Tessa Adler, M.Sc. (soon to be M.D.!) Tessa and Charlotte go WAY back to their Yale days, and in this podcast they cover the whole 9 yards! What’s it like to go from being fellow trainees to supervisor and grad student? What’s the secret to training your peers in a new lab while also trying to become friends with them? What’s Tessa’s advice as a Human Who has Inched Human Knowledge Forward? And what the heck is this “slow breathing” thing all about anyway? Listen to find out!

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