People

David Ferguson has two distinct research interests in the field of exercise physiology. The first focuses on the effects of early life growth-restriction on chronic disease risk. Children who are malnourished in early life have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. The goal of his laboratory is to investigate the molecular mechanisms that occur due to growth-restriction and propose therapeutic countermeasures to increase cardiovascular function and decrease mortality rates. The second area of research focuses on the health and human performance of race car drivers. During competition, race car drivers are exposed to elevated temperatures and gravitational forces which can induce fatigue. The goal of his laboratory is to document these stressors so that interventions can be designed to increase safety and performance of race car drivers.

Ferguson’s research has been funded by private industry, the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health. His work has been published in scientific journals such as Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, Journal of Physiology and Nature.