Ada Varga, PhD received a K99 award for her project “Role of an arousal circuit in respiration and opioid-induced respiratory depression” from NHLBI. The research centers on further understanding largely unexplored mechanisms of opioid-induced sedation, the primary cause of death in opioid overdoses. Her research seeks to understand the fundamentals of neurobiological control of respiration and the effects of opioids on it, as well as identify new strategies to alleviate respiratory depression and stimulate breathing in overdose situations.
Dr. Varga is a postdoctoral member of the BREATHE Center and is mentored by Drs. Erica Levitt and David Fuller for the project.
Congratulations to Dr. Varga!