Elisa Gonzalez-Rothi,
RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
About Elisa Gonzalez-Rothi
Dr. Gonzalez-Rothi is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and an investigator in the Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center and the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida. She directs the Neuroscience course in the Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum. The fundamental objective of Dr. Gonzalez-Rothi’s research program is the development of effective therapies to treat respiratory and motor deficits following incomplete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Her work aims to advance our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying plasticity within neural networks, particularly as it applies to breathing and upper extremity motor function. Her current research portfolio focuses on therapies designed to harness endogenous neuroplasticity, including traditional rehabilitation approaches and mild intermittent hypoxia. She is also investigating the impact of high-dose, chronic intermittent hypoxia, similar to that experienced by individuals with sleep disordered breathing, on expression of respiratory motor plasticity and recovery of breathing after chronic cervical spinal cord injury. Dr. Gonzalez-Rothi has expertise in characterizing anatomical substrates of defined neural circuits including identification and characterization of interneurons contributing to both respiratory and upper limb motor function. In addition, she has extensive experience with experimental models of spinal cord injury, characterizing the extent and time course of anatomical, physiological, and functional plasticity that occurs both spontaneously and induced via therapeutic intervention. She is uniquely suited to conduct basic science research in the field of spinal cord injury, as her clinical background as a physical therapist working with individuals with acute SCI in a neurologic ICU setting has shaped her research portfolio and enabled her to bring a unique perspective to her pre-clinical work.
Related Links:
Teaching Profile
Courses Taught
2016-2024
PHT6168C Neurosci Phys Therapy
2020
PHT6609 Evidence Base Pract 3
2018
GMS7980 Research for Doctoral Dissertation
2023-2024
HSC4970 Public Health and Health Professions Senior Honors Thesis
Research Profile
Areas of Interest
- Intermittent hypoxia
- Neuroplasticity
- Respiratory physiology
- Sleep apnea
- Spinal cord injury rehabilitation
- neuroscience
Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)
0000-0002-9833-5030
Publications
2024
Acute Hyperoxia Improves Spinal Cord Oxygenation and Circulatory Function Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury in Rats.
Journal of physiological investigation.
67(1):27-36
[DOI] 10.4103/EJPI.EJPI-D-23-00003.
[PMID] 38780270.
2024
Prolonged intermittent hypoxia differentially regulates phrenic motor neuron serotonin receptor expression in rats following chronic cervical spinal cord injury.
Experimental neurology.
378
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114808.
[PMID] 38750949.
2024
Sex differences in spontaneous respiratory recovery following chronic C2 hemisection
Journal of Applied Physiology.
137(1):166-180
[DOI] 10.1152/japplphysiol.00040.2024.
[PMID] 38867665.
2022
Daily acute intermittent hypoxia enhances serotonergic innervation of hypoglossal motor nuclei in rats with and without cervical spinal injury.
Experimental neurology.
347
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113903.
[PMID] 34699788.
2022
Dose-dependent phosphorylation of endogenous Tau by intermittent hypoxia in rat brain
Journal of Applied Physiology.
133(3):561-571
[DOI] 10.1152/japplphysiol.00332.2022.
[PMID] 35861520.
2022
Intermittent Hypoxia Differentially Regulates Adenosine Receptors in Phrenic Motor Neurons with Spinal Cord Injury.
Neuroscience.
506:38-50
[DOI] 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.10.007.
[PMID] 36273657.
2021
Baseline Arterial CO2 Pressure Regulates Acute Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Phrenic Long-Term Facilitation in Rats.
Frontiers in physiology.
12
[DOI] 10.3389/fphys.2021.573385.
[PMID] 33716760.
2021
Cervical spinal injury compromises caudal spinal tissue oxygenation and undermines acute intermittent hypoxia-induced phrenic long-term facilitation.
Experimental neurology.
342
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113726.
[PMID] 33915165.
2021
Daily acute intermittent hypoxia enhances phrenic motor output and stimulus-evoked phrenic responses in rats
Journal of Neurophysiology.
126(3):777-790
[DOI] 10.1152/jn.00112.2021.
[PMID] 34260289.
2021
Intermittent hypoxia and respiratory recovery in pre-clinical rodent models of incomplete cervical spinal cord injury.
Experimental neurology.
342
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113751.
[PMID] 33974878.
2021
Phrenic motor neuron survival below cervical spinal cord hemisection.
Experimental neurology.
346
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113832.
[PMID] 34363808.
2021
Protocol-Specific Effects of Intermittent Hypoxia Pre-Conditioning on Phrenic Motor Plasticity in Rats with Chronic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.
Journal of neurotrauma.
38(9):1292-1305
[DOI] 10.1089/neu.2020.7324.
[PMID] 33446048.
2021
Serotonergic innervation of respiratory motor nuclei after cervical spinal injury: Impact of intermittent hypoxia.
Experimental neurology.
338
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113609.
[PMID] 33460645.
2020
Ampakines stimulate phrenic motor output after cervical spinal cord injury.
Experimental neurology.
334
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113465.
[PMID] 32949571.
2020
Mid-cervical interneuron networks following high cervical spinal cord injury.
Respiratory physiology & neurobiology.
271
[DOI] 10.1016/j.resp.2019.103305.
[PMID] 31553921.
2018
Injectable hydrogels of optimized acellular nerve for injection in the injured spinal cord.
Biomedical materials (Bristol, England).
13(3)
[DOI] 10.1088/1748-605X/aaab82.
[PMID] 29380749.
2017
Automated Gait Analysis Through Hues and Areas (AGATHA): A Method to Characterize the Spatiotemporal Pattern of Rat Gait.
Annals of biomedical engineering.
45(3):711-725
[DOI] 10.1007/s10439-016-1717-0.
[PMID] 27554674.
2017
Contribution of 5-HT2A receptors on diaphragmatic recovery after chronic cervical spinal cord injury.
Respiratory physiology & neurobiology.
244:51-55
[DOI] 10.1016/j.resp.2017.07.003.
[PMID] 28711602.
2017
High-frequency epidural stimulation across the respiratory cycle evokes phrenic short-term potentiation after incomplete cervical spinal cord injury.
Journal of neurophysiology.
118(4):2344-2357
[DOI] 10.1152/jn.00913.2016.
[PMID] 28615341.
2017
Intermittent Hypoxia Enhances Functional Connectivity of Midcervical Spinal Interneurons.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.
37(35):8349-8362
[DOI] 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0992-17.2017.
[PMID] 28751456.
2017
Intraspinal microstimulation and diaphragm activation after cervical spinal cord injury.
Journal of neurophysiology.
117(2):767-776
[DOI] 10.1152/jn.00721.2016.
[PMID] 27881723.
2016
Cervical spinal cord injury exacerbates ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction.
Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985).
120(2):166-77
[DOI] 10.1152/japplphysiol.00488.2015.
[PMID] 26472866.
2016
Forelimb muscle plasticity following unilateral cervical spinal cord injury.
Muscle & nerve.
53(3):475-8
[DOI] 10.1002/mus.25007.
[PMID] 26662579.
2016
Respiratory outcomes after mid-cervical transplantation of embryonic medullary cells in rats with cervical spinal cord injury.
Experimental neurology.
278:22-6
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.01.017.
[PMID] 26808660.
2015
Intermittent hypoxia and neurorehabilitation.
Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985).
119(12):1455-65
[DOI] 10.1152/japplphysiol.00235.2015.
[PMID] 25997947.
2015
Spinal interneurons and forelimb plasticity after incomplete cervical spinal cord injury in adult rats.
Journal of neurotrauma.
32(12):893-907
[DOI] 10.1089/neu.2014.3718.
[PMID] 25625912.
2014
Rapid diaphragm atrophy following cervical spinal cord hemisection.
Respiratory physiology & neurobiology.
192:66-73
[DOI] 10.1016/j.resp.2013.12.006.
[PMID] 24341999.
2013
Absence of Secondary Phrenic Motoneuron (Phmn) Loss Following Lateralized Cervical Contusion
The FASEB's Journal.
27
2013
Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Results in Reorganization of Respiratory Activity in the Medulla
Cell Transplantation.
22:894-895
2013
Repeated intravenous doxapram induces phrenic motor facilitation.
Experimental neurology.
250:108-15
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2013.08.016.
[PMID] 24013015.
2013
Retrograde Transynaptic Tracing of the Inspiratory Intercostal Circuitry Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
The FASEB's Journal.
27
2013
The Diaphragm Rapidly Increases Expression of Muscle Atrophy Genes Following Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Injury (Csci)
The FASEB's Journal.
27
2012
Cervical Interneuron Bursting During Hypoxia in Anesthetized Rats
The FASEB's Journal.
26
2012
Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Alters the Pattern of Inspiratory and Expiratory Neuronal Activity in the Rat Medulla
Cell Transplantation.
21(4)
2012
Chronically Impaired Diaphragm Function Following Lateralized Cervical Contusion in Adult Rat Spinal Cord
Cell Transplantation.
21(4):781-782
2012
Forelimb Neuroplasticity Following Incomplete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury in Adult Rat
Cell Transplantation.
21(4)
2012
Increased Interneuronal Activity Following High Cervical Spinal Cord Injury in Adult Rats
Cell Transplantation.
21(4)
2012
Recovery of inspiratory intercostal muscle activity following high cervical hemisection.
Respiratory physiology & neurobiology.
183(3):186-92
[DOI] 10.1016/j.resp.2012.06.006.
[PMID] 22705013.
2012
Synaptic Integration Between Transplanted Neural Progenitor Tissue and the Injured Adult Rat Spinal Cord
Cell Transplantation.
21(4)
2009
Invited Commentary.
Physical therapy.
89(8):e7-8
[DOI] 10.2522/ptj.20080180.ic.
[PMID] 19648104.
Grants
Sep 2022
ACTIVE
Genetic Biomarkers of Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Respiratory Motor Plasticity in Chronic SCI
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: US ARMY MED RES ACQUISITION
Jul 2022
ACTIVE
Chronic hypercapnic hypoxia and respiratory plasticity following cervical spinal injury
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: CRAIG H NEILSEN FOU
Apr 2019
ACTIVE
Optimizing respiratory plasticity with chronic cervical SCI
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NHLBI
Aug 2018
– Jun 2023
Ampakines and Respiratory Neuroplasticity
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NHLBI
Nov 2017
– Jun 2022
Chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced neuroinflammation undermines respiratory motor plasticity after chronic incomplete cervical spinal cord injury
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: US ARMY MED RES AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND
Jul 2017
– Oct 2021
Combinatorial Therapies to Treat Breathing Impairments After Cervical SCI
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: CRAIG H NEILSEN FOU
Sep 2016
– Jul 2022
Functional mapping of peripheral and central circuits for airway protection and breathing
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH OD
Jul 2006
ACTIVE
BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH
Role: Project Manager
Funding: FL DEPT OF HLTH
Education
Rehabilitation Research Career Development Fellowship
2015-2018
·
University of Florida
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
2013-2015
·
University of Florida
PhD – Rehabilitation Sciences
2008-2013
·
University of Florida
Doctor of Physical Therapy
2004-2007
·
University of Miami
Bachelor of Science
2000-2004
·
University of Florida
Contact Details
Phones:
- Business:
- (352) 273-8965
Emails:
- Business:
- elisagon@ufl.edu
Addresses:
- Business Mailing:
-
PO Box 100154
GAINESVILLE FL 32610 - Business Street:
-
COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH PROFESSI
COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH PROFESSI
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY
GAINESVILLE FL 326100001