College of Medicine
Varga Lab
Led by Adrienne Varga · Neuroscience
What we study
The Varga Lab studies how the brain controls breathing, including an arousal circuit that takes part in normal breathing and in the dangerous slowing of breathing caused by opioids.
What working here is like
- Wet lab
- Mice
- Coding helps
- Projects
- 2
- Papers
- 5
Current projects
Role of an arousal circuit in respiration and opioid-induced respiratory depression
Investigating the role of an arousal circuit in normal breathing and opioid-induced respiratory depression.
Synergistic Respiratory and Cardiovascular Impairments in Fentanyl‑Xylazine Overdose
The researchers use a mouse brain‑stem preparation to see how fentanyl and the veterinary sedative xylazine together suppress breathing and affect heart function, and test whether naloxone can reverse these effects. The student set up the preparation, administered the drugs, and recorded breathing and heart data.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 161
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- Low-Dose Morphine Attenuates Respiratory-Synchronized Locus Coeruleus Activity Under Normoxic and Hypercapnic Conditions
2026 · Physiology
Tests how low-dose morphine affects breathing by changing brain activity.
- Locus coeruleus pathology mediates breathing dysfunction and sleep disruption in a mouse model of prodromal Parkinson’s disease
2026 · Physiology
Finds that brain cell damage in early Parkinson’s causes breathing and sleep problems.
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- Opposing Control of the Respiratory Brainstem on Multiple Timescales Achieved by Noradrenaline and Glutamate Release from the Locus Ceruleus
2026 · Journal of Neuroscience
Shows how brain cells control breathing by sending signals to a key breathing area.
- Releasing the breaks: BK channels, sex differences and the paradox of CO 2 ‐induced calm
2026 · The Journal of Physiology
- Breathing dysfunction as a result of prodromal Parkinson's disease pathology in the locus coeruleus
2025 · Physiology
Studies how early Parkinson’s disease affects breathing through brain cell damage.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Adrienne Varga hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.