PRIMARY AREAS OF RESEARCH:
- Molecular neuropharmacology of sleep and sleep-related respiratory disorders (obstructive sleep apnea).
- Neurobehavioral effects of early developmental alcohol exposure.
- Central control of breathing and its postnatal development.
- Molecular and cellular mechanisms of hypoxia.
- Molecular mechanisms of metabolic disorders (diabetes).
METHODOLOGICAL EXPERTISE:
- In vivo rodent studies with administration of experimental compounds and molecular, physiologic, and behavioral endpoints.
- Quantitative analysis of mRNA and protein markers in tissue microsamples (quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot).
- Molecular profiling at the single-cell level (single-cell RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry, immunohistochemistry).
- Rodent behavioral tests, polysomnographic monitoring and scoring of sleep-wake behavior.
Stettner GM, Kubin L, Volgin DV Loss of motoneurons in the ventral compartment of the rat hypoglossal nucleus following early postnatal exposure to alcohol Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy : , 2013.Volgin DV, Stettner GM, Kubin L Circadian dependence of receptors that mediate wake-related excitatory drive to hypoglossal motoneurons Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology : , 2013.Volgin DV, Kubin L Reduced sleep and impaired sleep initiation in adult male rats exposed to alcohol during early postnatal period Behavioural Brain Research : , 2012.Stettner GM, Kubin L, Volgin DV Antagonism of orexin 1 receptors eliminates motor hyperactivity and improves homing response acquisition in juvenile rats exposed to alcohol during early postnatal period. Behavioural Brain Research 221: 324-8, 2011.Volgin DV, Malinowska M, Kubin L Dorsomedial pontine neurons with descending projections to the medullary reticular formation express orexin-1 and adrenergic alpha2A receptor mRNA. Neuroscience Letters 459: 115-8, 2009.Volgin DV, Rukhadze I Kubin L Hypoglossal premotor neurons of the intermediate medullary reticular region express cholinergic markers. Journal of Applied Physiology 105: 1576-84, 2008.Kubin L, Volgin DV Developmental profiles of neurotransmitter receptors in respiratory motor nuclei. Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology 164: 64-71, 2008.Volgin DV Perinatal alcohol exposure leads to prolonged upregulation of hypothalamic GABAA receptors and increases behavioral sensitivity to gaboxadol. Neuroscience Letters 439: 182-6, 2008.Thangavel C, Dhir RN, Volgin DV, Shapiro BH Sex-dependent expression of CYP2C11 in spleen, thymus and bone marrow regulated by growth hormone. Biochemical Pharmacology 74: 1476-84, 2007.Volgin DV, Kubin L Regionally selective effects of GABA on hypothalamic GABAA receptor mRNA in vitro. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 353: 726-32, 2007.
Ph.D. (Physiology) Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 1999