Wesley Lefferts, PhD

I am a cardiovascular exercise physiologist with interests in 1) understanding vascular mechanisms of aging and their role in influencing brain and the heart, and 2) identifying vascular mechanisms through which behavior such as exercise benefits the brain and the heart. Within this area, I have particular interests in large artery stiffness and brain blood flow, and how differences in vascular function between men and women in middle age influence later-life brain and heart health. My work utilizes non-invasive vascular techniques to assess heart function, blood flow, artery stiffness, and cognitive function to address these research avenues.

Outside of the lab I am an avid exerciser (resistance training, HIIT, running with my Siberian Husky, finding mountains to hike in, ice hockey, frisbee, tennis, racquetball), thoroughly enjoy cooking and doing dishes, routinely get beat at board games by my wife, and enjoy detail-oriented projects such as creating visual models of physiology for teaching, scientific presentation, and book chapters.

Current courses taught:
KIN462, Medical Aspects of Exercise
KIN358, Exercise Physiology

Other teaching interests: cardiovascular physiology, cerebrovascular physiology, environmental physiology, scientific writing/presentation, research methods.