Thad E. Wilson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Ph.D. (2000) University of Utah
Phone: 215-762-4653  
Email: thad.wilson@drexelmed.edu

Within the overarching theme of environmental physiology and medicine, my research primarily focuses on cutaneous biology and its autonomic nervous system control. 

One current direction of the laboratory is the understanding of the biology of sweat glands. The overall aim is to characterize neural and local control of sweat gland function (via agonist dose-response relations and measurements of dermal interstitial neurotransmitter levels) between areas and after various skin perturbations. Answers to these questions will start to give us insight into function and better understanding of why disorders develop in sweat glands (hyper- and hypohidrosis). To perform these studies we often employ methodology such as intradermal microdialysis combined with capacitance hygrometry to measure evaporative water loss. The example below includes perfusing acetylcholine to cause sweat secretion via muscarinic receptors and the figure demonstrates the dose-response relations of sweat rate and acetylcholine before and after 14 days of 6° head-down tilt bedrest which is a ground based analog of microgravity (J. Appl. Physiol., 94: 2330-2336, 2003).

The neural control of eccrine sweet gland function involves both thermal and non-thermal factors (see figure on the right from J Appl Physiol, 100:1692-1701, 2006) and alterations in disease states.

To perform these studies we often employ techniques such as micro-neurography, where direct neural recordings of autonomic nerves supplying the skin are made. The below example tracing is during normothermia (A) and after whole-body heating (B) that increased internal temperature by 1° C (J. Appl. Physiol., 97:540-544, 2004).

Recent Publications:

• Wilson, T. E., Cui, J., Zhang, R., & Crandall, C. G. Heat stress reduces cerebral blood velocity and markedly impairs orthostatic tolerance in humans. American Journal of Physiology (Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology), 291: R1443-R1448, 2006.
• Wilson, T. E., Dyckman, D. J., & Ray, C. A. Determinants of skin sympathetic nerve responses to isometric exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 100: 1043-1048, 2006.
• Cui, J., M. Sathishkumar, Wilson, T. E., & Crandall, C. G. Spectral characteristics of skin sympathetic nerve activity in heat stressed humans. American Journal of Physiology (Heart & Circulatory Physiology), 290: H1601-9, 2006.
• Shibasaki, M, Wilson, T. E., & Crandall, C. G., Neural control and mechanisms of eccrine sweating during exercise and heat stress. Journal of Applied Physiolog, 100: 1692-1701, 2006.