Teresa Pitts, PhD

Research summary

Teresa Pitts’ research program is focused on translational upper airway physiology in the context of health, neurotrauma, and disease. Her lab leverages preclinical and translational studies to understand the mechanisms of swallow and cough impairments and the neural pathways that are critical for normal function. Getting people back to the table is the overall goal but offering clinicians access to better and more accurate information is Dr. Pitts’ primary motivation.

Lab staff

• Kimberly Iceman, PhD
• Clinton Greene, DVM
• Marlusa Amarante, PhD
• Caitlyn Thompson

Select publications

• Pitts T, Bolser D, Rosenbek J, Troche M, Okun, M, Sapienza C. (2009) Impact of Expiratory Muscle Strength Training on Voluntary Cough and Swallow Function in Parkinson’s disease. Chest 135(5): 1301-1308. PMID: 19029430
• Pitts T, Rose M, Mortensen A, Poliacek I, Sapienza C, Lindsey BG, Morris KF, Davenport PW, Bolser DC. (2013) Coordination of cough and swallow: A meta-behavioral response to aspiration. Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology 189: 543-551. PMID: 23998999
• Pitts T, Poliacek I, Rose MJ, Reed M, Condrey JA, Tsai HW, Zhou G, Davenport PW, Bolser DC. (2018) Neurons in the dorsomedial medulla contribute to swallow pattern generation: Evidence of the schluckatmung. PLoS one 13(7): e0199903. PMID: 30024913
• King SN, Shen TY, Musselwhite MN, Huff A, Reed M, Poliacek I, Howland DR, Dixon D, Morris KF, Bolser DC, Iceman KE, Pitts T. (2020) Swallow motor pattern is modulated by fixed or stochastic alterations in afferent feedback. Frontiers Human Neuroscience Special edition Orofacial functions: from Neural Mechanisms to Rehabilitation 14:112. PMID: 32327986
• Pitts T, Iceman KE, Huff A, Musselwhite MN, Frazure ML, Young KC, Greene CL, Howland DR. (2022) Laryngeal and swallow dysregulation following acute cervical spinal cord injury. Journal of Neurophysiology 128(2): 405-417. PMID: 35830612