Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center

University of Missouri

Nicole L. Nichols, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Department of Medical Pharmocology and Physiology
Member, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program Member, Translational Biosciences Graduate Program Office Location: W145 Vet Med
Office Phone: 573-882-2534
NicholsN@missouri.edu

Research Interests

Breathing, Swallowing, Swallowing-Breathing Coordination, Hypoxia, Plasticity, and Motor Neuron Death

Research Description

The primary focus of our laboratory concerns mechanisms of neuroplasticity and its potential for inducing preservation and/or improvement of respiratory and swallowing function and coordination following motor neuron loss and/or degeneration.

Professional Background

2022-Present Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

2015-2022 Assistant professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

2014-2015 Research Associate in Respiratory Neurobiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI

2008-2014 Post-doctoral Fellow in Respiratory Neurobiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 

2008 Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences with concentration in Neuroscience and Physiology, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH 

2003 B.S. in Life Science with concentration in Molecular Biology and Health Sciences with Distinction, Otterbein College, Westerville, OH 

Selected Publications

1. Ketabforoush, A.,* Wang, M.,* Smith, C.L., Arnold, W.D.,# Nichols, N.L.# Assessing Rat Diaphragm Motor Unit Connectivity Outcome Measures as Quantitative Biomarkers of Phrenic Motor Neuron Degeneration and Compensation. Accepted at JoVE. *=co-first authors, contributed equally; #=co-corresponding authors
2. Lever, T.E.,* Kloepper, A., Welby, L., Haney, M., Fudge, S., Seiller, C., Kington, S., Ballenger, B., Nichols, N.L. (2023). Minimally Invasive Murine Laryngoscopy for Close-Up Imaging of Laryngeal Motion during Breathing and Swallowing. JoVE Dec 1 (202). PMID: 38108389; PMCID: in progress.
3. Murphy, E.R., Thompson, R., Osman, K.L., Haxton, C., Brothers, M., Lee, L., Warncke, K., Smith, C.L., Keilholz, A.N., Hamad, A., Golzy, M., Bunyak, F., Ma, L., Nichols, N.L.,* and Lever T.E.* (2022). A strength endurance exercise paradigm mitigates deficits in hypoglossal-tongue axis function, strength, and structure in a rodent model of hypoglossal motor neuron degeneration. Frontiers in Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.869592. PMCID: PMC9279620.
4. Mueller, M., Thompson, R., Osman, K.L., Andel, E., DeJonge, C.A., Kington, S., Stephenson, Z., Hamad, A., Bunyak, F., Nichols, N.L., and Lever, T.E.* (2022). Impact of Limb Phenotype on Tongue Denervation Atrophy, Dysphagia Penetrance, and Survival Time in a Mouse Model of ALS. Dysphagia 37(6): 1777-1795. PMCID: PMC9568622.
5. Borkowski, L.F., Keilholz, A.N., Smith, C.L., Canda, K.A., and Nichols, N.L.* (2022). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (ketoprofen) delivery differentially impacts phrenic long-term facilitation in rats with motor neuron death induced by intrapleural CTB-SAP injections. Exper. Neurol. 347:113892. PMCID: PMC10805451.
6. Smith, C.E., Lorson, M.A., Hernandez-Ricardez, S.M., Al Rawi, Z., Mao, J., Marquez, J., Villalón, E., Keiholz, A.N., Smith, C.L., Garro-Kacher, M.O., Morcos, T., Davis, D.J, Bryda, E.C, Nichols, N.L., Lorson, C.L.* (2022). The Ighmbp2D564N mouse model is the first SMARD1 model to demonstrate respiratory defects. Hum. Mol. Genet. 31(8): 1293-1307. PMCID: PMC9029233.
7. Borkowski, L.F., Smith, C.L., Keilholz, A.N., and Nichols, N.L.*. (2021). Divergent receptor utilization is necessary for phrenic long-term facilitation over the course of motor neuron loss following CTB-SAP intrapleural injections. J. Neurophysiol. 126(3): 709-722. PMCID: PMC8461823
8. Allen, L.L., Nichols, N.L., Asa, Z.A., Emery, A.T., Ciesla, M.C., Santiago, J.V., Holland, A.E., Mitchell, G.S., and Gonzalez-Rothi, E.J. (2021). Phrenic motor neuron survival below cervical spinal cord hemisection. (2021). Exper. Neurol. 346:113832. PMCID: PMC9065093.
9. Nichols, N.L.*. and Mitchell, G.S. Mechanisms of severe acute intermittent hypoxia induced phrenic long-term facilitation. (2021). J. Neurophysiol. 125(4): 1146-1156. PMCID: PMC8282229.
10. Lind, L.A., Lever, T.E., and Nichols, N.L.* Tongue and hypoglossal morphology after intralingual CTB-saporin injection. (2021). Muscle & Nerve 63(3): 413-420. PMCID: PMC8117177.
11. Borkowski, L.F. and Nichols, N.L.* (2020). Differential mechanisms are required for phrenic long-term facilitation over the course of motor neuron loss following CTB-SAP intrapleural injections. Exper. Neurol. 334:113460. PMCID: PMC10823911.
12. Borkowski, L,F., Craig, T.A., Stricklin, O.E., Johnson, K.A., and Nichols, N.L.* (2020) 5-HT2A/B receptor expression in the phrenic motor nucleus in a rat model of ALS (SOD1G93A). Respir. Physiol. Neurobiol. 279: 103471. PMCID: PMC7384973.
13. Lind, L.A., Andel, E.M., McCall, A.L., Dhindsa, J.S., Johnson, K.A., Stricklin, O.E., Mueller, C., ElMallah, M.K., Lever, T.E., and Nichols, N.L.* (2020). Intralingual administration of AAVrh10-miRSOD1 improves respiratory but not swallowing function in a SOD1 mouse model of ALS. Human Gene Therapy 31(15-16): 828-838. PMCID: PMC7462029.
14. Kloepper, A., Arnold, J., Ruffolo, A., Kinealy, B., Haxton, C., Nichols, N., Takahashi, K., and Lever, T.E. (2020). An experimental swallow evoked potential protocol to investigate the neural substrates of swallowing. OTO-Open 4(1): 1-5. PMCID: PMC7081471.
15. Litvin, D.G., Denstaedt, S.J., Borkowski, L.F., Nichols, N.L., Dick, T.E., Smith, C.B., and Jacono, F.J. (2020). Peripheral-to-central immune communication at the area postrema glial-barrier following bleomycin-induced sterile lung injury in adult rats. Brain Behavior and Immunity 87: 610-633. PMCID: PMC8895345.
16. Haney, M., Hamad, A., Woldu, H., Ciucci, M., Nichols, N., Bunyak, F., and Lever, T. (2020). Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Transection in Mice Results in Translational Upper Airway Dysfunction. J. Comp. Neurol. 528(4): 574-596. PMCID: PMC7018444.
17. Osman, K.L., Kohlberg, S., Mok, A., Brooks, R., Lind, L.A., McCormack, K., Ferreira, A., Kadosh, M., Fagan, M.K., Bearce, E., Nichols, N.L., Coates, J.R., and Lever, T.E. (2020). Optimizing the translational value of mouse models of ALS for dysphagia therapeutic discovery. Dysphagia 35(2): 343-359. PMCID: PMC6954990.
18. Lind, L.A., Murphy, E.R., Lever, T.E., and Nichols, N.L.* (2018). Hypoglossal motor neuron death via intralingual CTB-saporin (CTB-SAP) injections mimic aspects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) related to dysphagia. Neuroscience 390: 303-316. PMCID: PMC6168367.
19. Agosto-Marlin, I.M., Nichols, N.L. and Mitchell, G.S. (2018). Systemic inflammation inhibits serotonin receptor 2-induced phrenic motor facilitation upstream from BDNF/TrkB signaling. J. Neurophysiol. 119(6): 2176-2185. PMCID: PMC6032128.
20. Seven, Y.B., Nichols, N.L., Kelly, M.N., Hobson, O.R., Satriotomo, I. and Mitchell, G.S. (2018). Compensatory plasticity in diaphragm and intercostal muscle utilization in a rat model of ALS. Exper. Neurol. 299(Pt A): 148-156. PMCID: PMC5951687.
21. Nichols, N.L.,* Craig, T.A., and Tanner M.A. (2018). Phrenic long-term facilitation following intrapleural CTB-SAP-induced respiratory motor neuron death. Respir. Physiol. Neurobiol. 256: 43-49. PMCID: PMC5815965.
22. Nichols, N.L.,* Satriotomo, I., Allen, L.L., Grebe, A.M. and Mitchell, G.S. (2017). Mechanisms of enhanced phrenic long-term facilitation in SOD1G93A rats. J. Neurosci. 37(24): 5834-5845. PMCID: PMC5473203.
23. Nichols, N.L., Ilatovskaya, D.V. and Matyas, M.L. (2017). Monitoring undergraduate student needs and activities at Experimental Biology: APS pilot survey. Adv. Physiol. Educ. 41(2): 186-193. PMID: 28377432.
24. Agosto-Marlin, I.M., Nichols, N.L. and Mitchell, G.S. (2017). Adenosine-dependent phrenic motor facilitation is inflammation resistant. J. Neurophysiol. 117(2): 836-845. PMCID: PMC5315699.
25. Devinney, M.J., Nichols, N.L. and Mitchell, G.S. (2016). Sustained hypoxia elicits competing spinal mechanisms of phrenic motor facilitation. J. Neurosci. 36(30): 7877-7885. PMCID: PMC4961775.
26. Nichols, N.L.* and Mitchell, G.S. (2016). Quantitative assessment of integrated phrenic nerve activity. Respir. Physiol. Neurobiol. 226: 81-86. PMCID: PMC4909576.