Researcher studies mechanisms behind body’s response to exercise

Dr. Paolo Dominelli, PhD, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary, is the Libin Cardiovascular Institute’s newest member. 

Dominelli’s physiology lab focuses on exercise physiology evaluating exercise interventions with an eye to advancing health and wellness.

“Our main interest is looking at how the body responds to exercise from a cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular aspect,” says Dominelli.  

According to Dominelli, experts don’t fully understand the mechanisms behind how the body reacts to a normal stressor, like exercise or low oxygen conditions. For example, the reason behind rapid breathing during exercise isn’t fully understood. 

His lab is trying to bridge those gaps. 

“Fully understanding what is normal is key before investigating abnormal responses, such as in people with chronic heart failure, who often have disordered breathing during exercise,” says Dominelli. 

Another focus of his lab is examining sex differences in cardio-pulmonary function. 

It’s a topic Dominelli investigated throughout his graduate training and during his postdoctoral fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. 

“Research from the laboratory I worked at in the Mayo Clinic showed how healthy males and females regulate their blood pressures differently,” he says.

Dominelli has also published on the impact of removing normal negative pressure in the thorax while exercising through the use of a breathing device.

“We found that the heart functions differently when you take away those normal pressures,” says Dominelli. “We are following up now to see differences between males and females.” 

His lab is now looking at whether heart size makes a difference in the cardio-pulmonary interactions during exercise. 

Career path

Dominelli, who played both rugby and soccer at high levels, was always interested in athletics and outdoor recreation like skiing and climbing. This interest led him to study kinesiology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) with the goal of becoming a physiotherapist. 

During his undergrad, Dominelli participated in a study – as a subject. That experience peaked his interested in research, and he signed up for an honour project. 

The project cemented his love of research, and he completed his masters and PhD at UBC with Dr. William Sheel. 

Dominelli went on to complete his postdoc before taking a faculty position at the University of Waterloo in 2019. He was recruited to Calgary in July 2024. 

He joined the Libin Cardiovascular Institute with the goal of teaming up with the Institute’s clinicians and researchers. 

“This is a great opportunity to collaborate,” says Dominelli. “Ultimately, the long-term goal of my research is to impact clinical care.” 

If you are interested in collaborating with Dominelli, contact him at paolo.dominelli@ucalgary.ca.