Emma Hart BSc(LivJMoores), PhD(Brun)

Dr Hart is a British Heart Foundation Research Fellow in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Univeristy of Bristol. Her research interests focus on the mechanisms underlying the development of hypertension, specifically the role played by the autonomic nervous system and targeting this system to treat disease.

Dr Hart is an expert in a technique called microneurography, which is used to measure the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. The technique is special as it can provide key information about how blood pressure is controlled. Microneurography is carried out in only a handful of research institutes around the world.

Professional Background: Dr Hart completed her PhD at Brunel University and the University of Copenhagen (Cardiovascular Physiology). She then went on to complete a Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic (USA), where her reseach focussed on how the nervous system controlled blood pressure and the effect that ageing had on this control.

Dr Hart also completed a sabbatical at Goteborg University (Sweden) where she conducted research into how the nervous system changes in age and hypertension.