“The Vascular Dynamics Lab at McMaster University recognizes the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts within our lab group and in welcoming and promoting members of black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) and other underrepresented communities in our research endeavours and collaborations …”. Please click here for more information on our lab’s EDI efforts.
Ongoing Studies and Participant Recruitment
VDL Newsletters
In the Vascular Dynamics Lab we focus on examining the complex interactions of mechanical, neural and humoral factors in peripheral arteries in response to both acute and chronic changes in physical activity.
Alterations in blood vessel structure and function play essential roles in the responses of the cardiovascular system to physiological stresses by influencing several factors. For example, we know that chronic changes in an individual’s activity level can alter the vascular wall thickness, and mechanical properties (elasticity and compliance) and vascular responses to stress (capacity and rate of vasodilation or vasoconstriction). Little, however, is known about the discrete stimulus response characteristics of the mechanisms governing changes in vascular structure and function
Our contributions to date have included development and refinement of methodology for measurement of arterial compliance and endothelial function in humans and determining the impact of chronic activity (resistance, isometric, endurance and sprint interval training) or inactivity (immobilization) on arterial structure and function.
Our studies have yielded some important insights related to the possible labile nature and mechanistic measurement-dependence of some arterial adaptations. As such we conduct research in both healthy young populations and populations with elevated cardiovascular risk factors such as those with hypertension, coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury.
Check out the Summer 2023 VDL Newsletter
Undergraduate placement and thesis applications are open for 2026/27. Deadline to apply is May 5, 2026 at 11:59pm. Click on this tab to proceed to the application form.
Our volunteer application is currently closed.
Check out the overview of the opportunities.
Professor; Provost and Vice-President (Academic)
Most of us realize that our blood vessels play an important role in transporting blood to and from all of the tissues of our body. The human cardiovascular system is continually adapting to and co-coordinating the differing requirements of the body tissues and the energy demands of skeletal muscle alone are capable of changing 100 fold within seconds of the onset of a new task. Blood vessels are much more than static tubes for transporting blood. The structure and function of our blood vessels can adapt to challenges they are presented with and can change significantly in both health and disease. Two important features of our arteries (blood vessels which transport blood away from the heart) are how flexible (stiffness) they are and how much they can expand (dilate) when faced with the challenges of increasing pressure and/or flow. We know that these two features, stiffness and dilation, change with disease processes, aging, spinal cord injury and some exercise programs but we know very little about what regulates these changes. In my laboratory we have been studying the role that exercise, which can result in large pressure and flow challenges to the arteries, plays in changing arterial structure and function. We examine the responses of a variety of components of the cardiovascular system to exercise challenges in order to determine control mechanisms. The specific cardiovascular variables, which are central to this research, are blood pressure, blood flow and arterial stiffness, diameter, wall thickness and dilation. Objectives of my research program include examination of the impact of alterations in vessel stiffness and function on skeletal muscle blood flow responses both at rest, and during exercise. Our continuing studies will focus on the use of cutting edge ultrasound technology to examine blood vessel stiffness and regional blood flow in both healthy and clinical populations. The insight gained from these studies will assist in advancing the current basic knowledge of the cardiovascular system as well as identifying the effectiveness of exercise as an intervention in determining basic cardiovascular regulation and in improving health status and lifestyle.
EMRG News
EMRG News, Kinesiology News, Vascular Dynamics Lab
Human Performance Lab, Kinesiology News, Vascular Dynamics Lab