
Gilberto Moralez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department School of Health Professions
Biography
Dr. Moralez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Clinical Research. He completed his Master of Science in Health and Kinesiology, with an emphasis on Exercise Physiology, at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2010. He later began his doctoral training at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in 2012, graduating with a PhD in Biomedical Science in 2016. He then completed 3 years of post-doctoral training at The Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. Dr. Moralez joined the Department of Applied Clinical Research in March 2019 and his primary research interests are in the assessment of autonomic cardiovascular responses to exercise, hypoxia and environmental stressors. Specifically, Dr. Moralez is interested in investigating the physiological mechanisms underlying the impaired autonomic control of sympathetic nerve activity in at-risk groups.
The current research projects in Dr. Moralez’s laboratory focus on 1.) The impact of the autonomic nervous system on the cerebral vasculature, in patients with persistent physical and cognitive long-term impairments after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury and 2.) The effects of a 12-week non-contact group boxing program on the cerebral and peripheral endothelial and autonomic function in People with Parkinson’s Disease.
Education
- Graduate School
- Uni of North Tx Health Science (2016), Biomedical Sciences
Research Interest
- Autonomic responses and maladaptations to physiological stressors
- Autonomic responses to inflammation, oxidative stress and the activation of renin-angiotensin system
- Cardiovascular responses and adaptations to exercise and environmental stressors
- Central mechanisms contributing to the devolvement of the hyperadrenergic disease state
Publications
Featured Publications
- Global Reach 2018: Sympathetic neural and hemodynamic responses to submaximal exercise in Andeans with and without chronic mountain sickness.
- Hansen AB, Amin SB, Hofstätter F, Mugele H, Simpson LL, Gasho C, Dawkins TG, Tymko MM, Ainslie PN, Villafuerte FC, Hearon CM, Lawley JS, Moralez G, Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2022 Mar
- Global Reach 2018: The adaptive phenotype to life with chronic mountain sickness and polycythaemia.
- Hansen AB, Moralez G, Amin SB, Simspon LL, Hofstaetter F, Anholm JD, Gasho C, Stembridge M, Dawkins TG, Tymko MM, Ainslie PN, Villafuerte F, Romero SA, Hearon CM, Lawley JS, J Physiol 2021 Jul
- Global Reach 2018 Heightened a-Adrenergic Signaling Impairs Endothelial Function During Chronic Exposure to Hypobaric Hypoxia.
- Tymko MM, Lawley JS, Ainslie PN, Hansen AB, Hofstaetter F, Rainer S, Amin S, Moralez G, Gasho C, Vizcardo-Galindo G, Bermudez D, Villafuerte FC, Hearon CM, Circ Res 2020 Jul 127 2 e1-e13
- Mechanisms of sympathetic restraint in human skeletal muscle during exercise: role of a-adrenergic and nonadrenergic mechanisms.
- Hansen AB, Moralez G, Romero SA, Gasho C, Tymko MM, Ainslie PN, Hofstätter F, Rainer SL, Lawley JS, Hearon CM, Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2020 07 319 1 H192-H202
- Effect of centrally acting angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor on the exercise-induced increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity.
- Moralez G, Jouett NP, Tian J, Zimmerman MC, Bhella P, Raven PB J. Physiol. (Lond.) 2018 Jun 596 12 2315-2332
- Six Months of Exercise Training Improves Ventilatory Responses during Exercise in Adults with Well-Healed Burn Injuries.
- Watso JC, Romero SA, Moralez G, Huang MU, Cramer MN, Jaffery MF, Balmain BN, Wilhite DP, Babb TG, Crandall CG, Med Sci Sports Exerc 2023 May 55 5 765-776
- Attrition of well-healed burn survivors to a 6-month community-based exercise program: A retrospective evaluation.
- Atkins WC, Romero SA, Moralez G, Huang M, Cramer MN, Foster J, McKenna ZJ, Crandall CG, J Burn Care Res 2023 May
- Adrenergic control of skeletal muscle blood flow during chronic hypoxia in healthy males.
- Simpson LL, Hansen AB, Moralez G, Amin SB, Hofstaetter F, Gasho C, Stembridge M, Dawkins TG, Tymko MM, Ainslie PN, Lawley JS, Hearon CM, Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2023 Apr 324 4 R457-R469
- Cardiac Remodeling in Well-Healed Burn Survivors after Six Months of Unsupervised Progressive Exercise Training.
- McKenna ZJ, Moralez G, Romero SA, Hieda M, Huang M, Cramer MN, Sarma S, MacNamara JP, Jaffery MF, Atkins WC, Foster J, Crandall CG, J Appl Physiol (1985) 2023 Jan
- Comparing the Effects of Low-Dose Ketamine, Fentanyl, and Morphine on Hemorrhagic Tolerance and Analgesia in Humans.
- Watso JC, Huang M, Hendrix JM, Belval LN, Moralez G, Cramer MN, Foster J, Hinojosa-Laborde C, Crandall CG, Prehosp Emerg Care 2023 Jan 1-22
Honors & Awards
- Chief Faculty Marshal in UT Southwestern School of Health Professions Commencement
(2022) - Department of Applied Clinical Research, Excellence in Education
(2022) - Department of Applied Clinical Research, Outstanding Mentor Award
(2021) - President's Award for Diversity and Humanism in Clinical Care Nominee
(2021) - UT Southwestern School of Health Professions Interdisciplinary Research Grant Award Recipient
(2020-2021) - Scholar (Cohort 7) Program to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Cardiovascular Health-Related Research (PRIDE-CVD) sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
(2019) - Wilderness Medical Society Research in Training Grant Award Recipient
(2018) - Mentor Judge Travel Award for the 2017 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
(2017) - Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research. National Institutes of Health - National Institute of General Medical Sciences
(2016) - The American Physiological Society, Caroline tum Suden/Francis A. Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award
(2016) - University of North Texas Health Science Center, Dean's Award for Scholarly Excellence in Research Nominee, Selected by the Committee for Graduate studies
(2016) - Young Investigator Award from Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine
(2016)
Professional Associations/Affiliations
- American College of Sports Medicine (2009)
- American Physiological Society (2007)
- Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) (2013)
- Texas Chapter of American College of Sports Medicine (2008)
- Wilderness Medical Society (2018)