He was a research associate at Merck Institute for two years before joining the department in 1965. My research is directed toward an understanding of CNS involvement in stress-induced dysfunction.
Environmental factors interact and influence neural mechanisms.
These phenomena have been highlighted by the evidence that behavioral stress can induce cardiovascular disorders and alteration in brain chemistry. We have developed animal models which allow manipulation of behavioral factors and study stress-induced physiological response and pathological sequelae. Cardiomyopathy, hypertension, and brain serotonin metabolism have been the stress-induced phenomena on which this research has concentrated. Cardiomyopathy in an avoidance paradigm has been related to coping behavior. Study of the CNS mechanisms has shown the cardiomyopathy to be associated with enhanced sympathetic activity which can be exacerbated by removal of parasympathetic activity or blocked by inhibition of adrenergic beta receptors.