Breathing is essential to life, yet this vital motor behavior is highly vulnerable to disruption in neurological disease and injury. The Rana lab investigates the neural control of breathing i.e. how the brain and spinal cord coordinate this life-sustaining function, and how these circuits are altered following injury or disease.

A central focus of our work is respiratory dysfunction after spinal cord injury (SCI), where breathing complications are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Current clinical interventions, such as mechanical ventilation, respiratory muscle training, and diaphragm pacing, can provide temporary support but are often ineffective in restoring natural respiratory motor control. This underscores a critical need for new therapeutic strategies that directly target the underlying neural circuits. Our research aims to enhance the plasticity and function of neural pathways using pharmacological and neuromodulation-based approaches, combined with targeted rehabilitation. To achieve this, we employ a highly interdisciplinary approach, incorporating in vivo neurophysiological recordings in awake and anesthetized animals, non-invasive spinal stimulation techniques, pharmacological interventions, genetic gain and loss-of-function strategies, and targeted rehabilitation protocols. These diverse methodologies enable a comprehensive understanding of respiratory neural circuits and the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for improving breathing in SCI models.

Through this work, our long-term goal is to develop innovative therapies that restore natural breathing, reduce reliance on mechanical ventilation, and improve quality of life for individuals with SCIs and other neurological disorders.