Nick Musselwhite, Ph.D.

Hear how I pronounce my name

Hi! I am an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience here at the University of Florida. In teach a variety of courses including fundamentals of neural science, functional human neuroanatomy homeostasis and the brain, learning and memory, and the neuroscience of pain. As a majority of this coursework is taught online, I am interested in pedagogic techniques to improve retention and understanding of course materials by incorporating technologies to bridge the gap between in-person and online education. I have had the privilege of teaching neuroanatomy and neuroscience to a diverse student population and students at every stage of their postsecondary education, from undergraduates to graduate and professional students. I am also proud of my outreach efforts in teaching neuroscience and physiology. I volunteered to lead brain dissection labs for UF’s Neuroscience and Pre-Med Clubs for several years. I also worked with fellow educators to adapt part of the first-year veterinary curriculum for UF’s Summer Health Professions Education Program, an academic enrichment program for students who are underrepresented in the health professions.

Outside of the classroom, my research interests surround the neuroplasticity of airway protective behaviors and the control of breathing. I am interested in how central components of the respiratory pattern generator are differentially modulated under various physiological states and how both descending cortical and ascending peripheral input may modulate these networks. These behaviors are critical to aging populations and those with neurodegenerative disease, as a failure to maintain a clear airway is the leading cause of mortality in these populations. Throughout my scientific career, I have been broadly trained to study behavior across several levels, from whole-animal to individual cells. After completing my bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of North Florida, I began my graduate work in the lab of Dr. Don Bolser at the University of Florida. In the Bolser Lab, I was exposed to the physiological as opposed to psychological underpinnings of behavior. I investigated the neurogenesis and regulation of cough and swallow via in vivo animal models using multielectrode arrays, nerve recording, electromyography, electrical stimulation, and pharmacological intervention. Additionally, our lab utilized in silico approaches leveraging computational modeling of the respiratory control network to understand putative neural circuits better. I did my postdoctoral work under the guidance of Dr. Teresa Pitts at the University of Louisville. During this time, I shifted my focus to spinal cord injury and serotonergic modulation of the respiratory control network and added videofluoroscopy and laryngoscopy to my skillset. My experience has molded me into an interdisciplinary scientist, and by employing psychological, physiological, and neurological approaches, I can address scientific questions in novel ways.

In my personal life, I enjoy trail running, the ukulele, home automation, training my dog, playing video games, and learning Mandarin. As my wife and I have just welcomed our first child into our lives, I have had little time to do any of these things.