Dr Mari Herigstad CandMag, DPhil
Senior Lecturer
Summary
I received my DPhil in physiology from the University of Oxford in 2008 in the field of cardiorespiratory control. My research interest is how carbon monoxide (CO) affects physiological function and pathophysiology development.
About
I did my undergraduate degree in biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and a DPhil in physiology at the University of Oxford, where I worked on integrative aspects of cardiorespiratory control. Following my DPhil I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics and the Oxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, studying COPD and breathlessness using MRI. In 2014, I took up a Research Fellow post at Oxford Brookes University, where I established my current research focus, looking at the impact of CO on health. In 2016, I moved to Sheffield, where I continued my CO research and worked on high-field NMR/MRI in animal models at the University of Sheffield. I moved to Sheffield Hallam, where I took up a post as a lecturer in biomedical sciences in 2019. Here, I have established the Sheffield CO Research Group, and my research currently spans the fields of physiology, neuroscience, cell biology and developmental biology.
Teaching
School of Biosciences and Chemistry
College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences
I teach across a range of modules within the School of Biosciences and Chemistry, including Anatomy and Physiology, Neurobiology, Pathology, Instrumentation, Signal Processing and Imaging.
Research
CO is a poisonous gas that most of us breathe in every day through air pollution, and even small amounts of the gas have significant impact on physiology. Worldwide, the World Health Organisation estimates that 4.2 million deaths per year occur due to air pollution, and we know that CO air pollution is linked with increased incidence of diseases, such as stroke and vascular dementia. However, we don’t know precisely how low-level CO exposure affects health and contributes to pathophysiology.
Researchers in my group use human volunteers, model organisms and cell culture (both 2D and 3D) to probe the impact of CO exposure on physiological function. We take a multidisciplinary approach, from imaging (MRI, EEG, ultrasound) to laboratory techniques, including a custom-built CO exposure chamber. Using small doses of CO, we study neural activation, blood flow and vascular reactivity, blood markers of CO exposure, physiological parameters and behavioural outcomes in human volunteers. We study impact on foetal development, with a focus on the brain and cardiovascular system, and we work to identify underlying cellular mechanisms of CO impact on organ function and disease.
This research naturally lends itself to undergraduate and postgraduate research projects.
Sheffield: Study to investigate impact of carbon monoxide on the brain - BBC news
Collaborators and Sponsors
Current external collaborators include Prof Marysia Placzek (University of Sheffield) and Dr Chris Morris (University of Newcastle). Internal collaborators include Dr Prachi Stafford and Dr Nicholas Peake.
My research is funded by the CO Research Trust and supported by Kane International Ltd.
Publications
Journal articles
Matias, F.R., Groves, I., Durrans, J., & Herigstad, M. (2024). Carbon monoxide affects early cardiac development in an avian model. Birth Defects Research, 116 (3). http://doi.org/10.1002/bdr2.2330
Finnegan, S.L., Harrison, O.K., Booth, S., Dennis, A., Ezra, M., Harmer, C.J., ... Pattinson, K.T.S. (2023). The effect of D-cycloserine on brain processing of breathlessness over pulmonary rehabilitation - an experimental medicine study. ERJ Open Research. http://doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00479-2022
Finnegan, S.L., Harrison, O.K., Harmer, C.J., Herigstad, M., Rahman, N.M., Reinecke, A., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2021). Breathlessness in COPD: linking symptom clusters with brain activity. European Respiratory Journal, 58 (5), 2004099. http://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.04099-2020
Bendell, C., Moosavi, S.H., & Herigstad, M. (2019). Low-level carbon monoxide exposure affects BOLD fMRI response. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 271678X19887358. http://doi.org/10.1177/0271678X19887358
Bendell, C., Moosavi, S., & Herigstad, M. (2017). Low-level carbon monoxide exposure affects BOLD FMRI. . http://doi.org/10.1101/141093
Herigstad, M., Faull, O.K., Hayen, A., Evans, E., Hardinge, F.M., Wiech, K., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2017). Treating breathlessness via the brain: Changes in brain activity over a course of pulmonary rehabilitation. European Respiratory Journal, 50 (3), 1701029. http://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.01029-2017
Herigstad, M., Faull, O., Hayen, A., Evans, E., Hardinge, M., Wiech, K., & Pattinson, K. (2017). Treating the lungs via the brain: Mechanisms underpinning improvements in breathlessness with pulmonary rehabilitation. . http://doi.org/10.1101/117390
Paley, M., Reynolds, S., Ismail, N., Herigstad, M., Jarvis, D., & Griffiths, P. (2017). Wireless Accelerometer for Neonatal MRI Motion Artifact Correction. Technologies, 5 (1), 6. http://doi.org/10.3390/technologies5010006
Hayen, A., Wanigasekera, V., Faull, O.K., Campbell, S.F., Garry, P.S., Raby, S.J.M., ... Pattinson, K.T.S. (2017). Opioid suppression of conditioned anticipatory brain responses to breathlessness. NeuroImage, 150, 383-394. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.01.005
Garry, P.S., Rowland, M.J., Ezra, M., Herigstad, M., Hayen, A., Sleigh, J.W., ... Pattinson, K.T. (2016). Electroencephalographic Response to Sodium Nitrite May Predict Delayed Cerebral Ischemia after Severe Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. Critical Care Medicine, 44 (11), e1067-e1073. http://doi.org/10.1097/CCM.0000000000001950
Fatemian, M., Herigstad, M., Croft, Q.P.P., Formenti, F., Cardenas, R., Wheeler, C., ... Robbins, P.A. (2016). Determinants of ventilation and pulmonary artery pressure during early acclimatization to hypoxia in humans. The Journal of physiology, 594 (5), 1197-1213. http://doi.org/10.1113/jp270061
Herigstad, M., Hayen, A., Reinecke, A., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2016). Development of a dyspnoea word cue set for studies of emotional processing in COPD. Respiratory physiology & neurobiology, 223, 37-42. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2015.12.006
Herigstad, M., Hayen, A., Evans, E., Hardinge, F.M., Davies, R.J., Wiech, K., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2015). Dyspnea-related cues engage the prefrontal cortex: Evidence from functional brain imaging in COPD. Chest, 148 (4), 953-961. http://doi.org/10.1378/chest.15-0416
Hayen, A., Herigstad, M., Wiech, K., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2015). Subjective evaluation of experimental dyspnoea--effects of isocapnia and repeated exposure. Respiratory physiology & neurobiology, 208, 21-28. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2014.12.019
Chalif, J.I., Sitsapesan, H.A., Pattinson, K.T.S., Herigstad, M., Aziz, T.Z., & Green, A.L. (2014). Dyspnea as a side effect of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease. Respiratory physiology & neurobiology, 192, 128-133. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2013.12.014
Hayen, A., Herigstad, M., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2013). Understanding dyspnea as a complex individual experience. Maturitas, 76 (1), 45-50. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.06.005
Liu, C., Croft, Q.P.P., Kalidhar, S., Brooks, J.T., Herigstad, M., Smith, T.G., ... Robbins, P.A. (2013). Dexamethasone mimics aspects of physiological acclimatization to 8 hours of hypoxia but suppresses plasma erythropoietin. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 114 (7), 948-956. http://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01414.2012
Hayen, A., Herigstad, M., Kelly, M., Okell, T.W., Murphy, K., Wise, R.G., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2013). The effects of altered intrathoracic pressure on resting cerebral blood flow and its response to visual stimulation. NeuroImage, 66, 479-488. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.10.049
Herigstad, M., Hayen, A., Wiech, K., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2011). Dyspnoea and the brain. Respiratory medicine, 105 (6), 809-817. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2010.12.022
Herigstad, M., & Robbins, P.A. (2009). Pulmonary vascular response to air-breathing exercise in humans following an 8-h exposure to hypoxia. Respiratory physiology & neurobiology, 169 (1), 11-15. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2009.08.002
Herigstad, M., & Urquhart, L. (2009). 5th Annual Monoclonal Antibodies Conference: March 24-25, 2009, London, UK. mAbs, 1 (4), 308-317. http://doi.org/10.4161/mabs.1.4.8956
Herigstad, M., Fatemian, M., & Robbins, P.A. (2008). Respiratory control during air-breathing exercise in humans following an 8 h exposure to hypoxia. Respiratory physiology & neurobiology, 162 (3), 169-175. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2008.06.008
Herigstad, M., Balanos, G.M., & Robbins, P.A. (2007). Can human cardiovascular regulation during exercise be learnt from feedback from arterial baroreceptors? Experimental physiology, 92 (4), 695-704. http://doi.org/10.1113/expphysiol.2007.037879
Liu, C., Smith, T.G., Balanos, G.M., Brooks, J., Crosby, A., Herigstad, M., ... Robbins, P.A. (2007). Lack of involvement of the autonomic nervous system in early ventilatory and pulmonary vascular acclimatization to hypoxia in humans. The Journal of physiology, 579 (Pt 1), 215-225. http://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2006.118190
Conference papers
Hayen, A., Waningasekera, V., Herigstad, M., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2017). Opioids decrease the unpleasantness ofdyspnoea via actions in the medial prefrontalcortex. In 22nd International Society for the Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology meeting, Seville, Spain.
Herigstad, M., Hayen, A., Evans, E., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2017). Engagement of the prefrontal cortex in response to dyspnea-related cues in COPD. In 22nd International Society for the Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology meeting, Seville, Spain.
Herigstad, M., Hayen, A., Reinecke, A., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2017). A cue-based task for exploring emotionalprocessing of dyspnea in COPD duringfunctional neuroimaging. In 22nd International Society for the Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology meeting, Seville, Spain.
Murphy, K., Hayen, A., Herigstad, M., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2014). Physiological noise reduction for multi-inversion time ASL. In Joint Annual Meeting ISMRM-ESMRMB.
Herigstad, M., Hayen, A., Evans, E., Davies, R., Hardinge, M., Wiech, K., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2013). Breathlessness in COPD is associated with altered cognitive processing in the medial prefrontal cortex. In British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting, London.
Hayen, A., Herigstad, M., Wise, R.G., & Pattinson, K.T.S. (2011). Effects of inspiratory and expiratory loading upon global and stimulus evoked CBF. In 19th International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Montreal, Canada.
Herigstad, M., Fatemian, M., & Robbins, P.A. Study of the effect of prior sustained hypoxia on the ventilatory response to exercise in humans. In Experimental Biology, Washington, USA. https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.21.6.A1290
Postgraduate supervision
I currently supervise several PhD students (both internal and external).