Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Training Program

Biography

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow Baylor College of Medicine – Children’s Nutrition Research Center

PhD, Texas A&M University

MS, University of North Carolina Charlotte

BS, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Research Interest

David Ferguson has two distinct research interests in the field of exercise physiology. The first focuses on the effects of early life growth-restriction on chronic disease risk. Children who are malnourished in early life have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. The goal of his laboratory is to investigate the molecular mechanisms that occur due to growth-restriction and propose therapeutic countermeasures to increase cardiovascular function and decrease mortality rates. The second area of research focuses on the health and human performance of race car drivers. During competition, race car drivers are exposed to elevated temperatures and gravitational forces which can induce fatigue. The goal of his laboratory is to document these stressors so that interventions can be designed to increase safety and performance of race car drivers.

Ferguson’s research has been funded by private industry, the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health. His work has been published in scientific journals such as Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, Journal of Physiology and Nature.

Research Topics

Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease
Biological Regulation of Physical Activity
Skeletal Muscle Physiology
Motorsport Physiology

Publications

2024

*Leszczynski, EC, Thorn, ME, Szlachetka, J, Lee, MH, Ferguson, DP. The Effect of an Early Life Motor Skill Intervention on Physical Activity in Growth-Restricted Mice. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 56 (6): 1066-1076. 2024.

Hill, CR. Mellano, KT. Trujillo, HBP. Ferguson, DP. A Phenomenological Evaluation of the Psychological Factors that Influence Motorsport Performance. The Sport Psychologist. 38 (2). 126-136. 2024.

*Visker JR, Leszczynski EC, Wellette-Hunsucker AG, Bazil JN, and Ferguson DP. Postnatal Growth Restriction in Mice Alters Cardiac Mitochondrial Energetics. Experimental Physiology.  109 (4), 562-575. 2024.

2023

*Wellette-Hunsucker AG, Leszczynski EC, Visker JR, Pritchard AE, Slade JM, and Ferguson DP. The Effect of Downhill Running on Skeletal Muscle Mass in Growth-Restricted Mice. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 55 (12): 2160-2169. 2023.

*Leszczynski, EC, Schwarts, NE, McPeek, AC, Currie, KD, Ferguson, DP, Garland, T. Selectively Breeding for High Voluntary Physical Activity in Female Mice does not Bestow Inherent Characteristics that Resemble Eccentric Remodeling of the Heart, but the mini-muscle phenotype does.  Sports Medicine and Health Science.  5 (2), 205-212. 2023.

Ferguson, DP., Alex, PR, Castrucci, JM, Akouri, AM, Januszewski, GR, Danes, JD, Houck, FL. Promoted Hands-Free Drinking Improves Simulated Race Car Driving in a Hot Environment. Journal of Sports Sciences. 41 (11), 1093-1106. 2023.

*McPeek, AC, Patton, B, Columbus, DA, Oliver, TD, Rodrigues, LA, Sands, JM, Weber, LP, Ferguson, DP. Low Birth Weight and Reduced Postnatal Nutrition Lead to Cardiac Dysfunction in Piglets. Journal of Animal Science. 101. 2023.

Wellington MO, Rodrigues LA, *Quinn  MA, Panisson JC, Ferguson DP, and Columbus, DA. Serum Metabolomic Characterization in Pigs in Relation to Birth Weight Category and neonatal Nutrition. Journal of Animal Science       . 101. 2023

2022

*Quinn MA, Pritchard AE, Visker JR, McPeek, AC, Raghuvanshi R, Wellette-Hunsucker AG, Leszczynski EC, McCabe L, Pfeiffer KA, Quinn RA, and Ferguson DP. Longitudinal Effects of Growth Restriction on the Murine Gut Microbiome and Metabolome. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. E159-170. 2002.

David Horvath, Janos Negyesi, Tamas Győri, Botond Szűcs, Peter Janos Toth, Zsolt Matics, Csaba Okros, Sandor Safar, Nikolett Szabo, Beata Takacs, Robert Kathy, Klara Toth, David P. Ferguson, Ryoichi Nagatomi and Levente Racz. Application of a Reactive Agility Training Program Using Light‑Based Stimuli to Enhance the Physical and Cognitive Performance of Car Racing Drivers: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Sports Medicine Open. 8 (1), 1-17. 2022.

Ferguson, DP. Leszczynski, EC, Horton, TH, Pfeiffer, KA, Gardiner, J, and Pearson, AL. C-reactive protein and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) associate with chronic disease markers in a sample of low-income neighborhoods in Detroit, Michigan. Sprots Medicine and Health Science. 4 (4), 275-279. 2022.

Morton, JS, Patton, B, Morse, CJ, Karsh, Z EI, Rodrigues, LA, Mousseau, Ferguson, DP, Columbus, DA, Weber, LP, and Oliver, TD. Altered Cerebrovascular Regulation in Low Birthweight Swine. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology. 267. P. 111163. 2022.

Bretzin AC, Daly JC, and Ferguson DP. Concussion Knowledge, Attitudes and Reporting Behaviors of Sports Car Racing Drivers. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. 7 (2), e000195. 2022.

Garcia, E. Juarez, Ferguson, DP, and Napoli, NJ. Estimating Core Body Temperature Under Extreme Environments using Kalman Filtering. AIAA SCITECH 2022 Forum, 1271.

2021

Gwizdala, K. L., Ferguson, D. P., Kovan, J., Novak, V., & Pontifex, M. B. Placebo controlled phase II clinical trial: Safety and efficacy of combining intranasal insulin & acute exercise. Metabolic Brain Disease. 36 (6), 1289-1303.

Ferguson DP, Leszczynski EC, McPeek AC, Pendergrast JR, Visker, JR. Triplet, AN. Physical Activity Engagement Worsens Health Outcomes and Limits Exercise Capacity in Growth-restricted Mice. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2021. 53 (8), 1561-1571.

*Leszczynski, EC; Kuenze, CM; Brazier, B; Visker, JR; and Ferguson, DP. “The Effect of ACL Reconstruction on Involved and Contralateral Limb Vastus Lateralis Morphology and Histology: A Pilot Study” Journal of Knee Surgery. 2021 Apr;34(5):533-537. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-1697899

Potkanowicz ES, Ferguson DP, Greenshields JT. Responses of Driver-Athletes to Repeated Driving Stints. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2021. 53 (3), 551-558.

*Barthel SC and Ferguson DP. Cockpit Temperature as an Indicator of Thermal Strain in Sportscar Competition. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2021, 53 (2), 360-366.

Kochanek J, Davis ME, Erickson KA, Ferguson DP. More than “Just a Driver”: A Study of Professional Women Racecar Drivers’ Agency in Motorsport. Psychology of Sport & Exercise. 2021, 52, 101838

2020

*Visker JR, Dangott LJ, Leszczynski EC, and Ferguson DP. Postnatal Growth Restriction in Mice Alters Cardiac Protein Abundance Leading to Impairment in Adulthood.  International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020, 21 (24), 9459.

*Pendergrast, LA; Leszczynski, EC; Visker, JR; Triplett, AN; and Ferguson, DP. “Effects of early life undernutrition on maximum treadmill running capacity in mice.” Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism. 2020, 45 (3), 240-250.

*Barthel, SC; Buckingham, TM; Haft, CE; Bechtolsheimer, JE; Bechtolsheimer, TA; and Ferguson, DP. A Comparison of the Physiological Responses in Professional and Amateur Sports Car Racing Drivers. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 2020 Jan 24:1-12.

Felzer-Kim IT, Visker JR, Ferguson DP, and Hauk JL. Infant blood lipids: a systematic review of trajectories over time and related factors. Frontiers Pediatrics. 2020. 18 (7). 381-394

Robert A. Quinn; Alexey V. Melnik; Alison Vrbanac; Kathryn A. Patras; Mitchell Christy; Zsolt Bodai; Pedro Belda-Ferre; Anupriya Tripathi; Lawton K. Chung; Melissa Quinn; Greg Humphrey; Morgan Panitchpakdi; Kelly Weldon; Alexander Aksenov; Ricardo da Silva; Julian Avila-Pacheco; Clary Clish; Sena Bae; Himel Mallick; Eric A. Franzosa; Jason Lloyd-Price; Robert Bussell; Taren Thron; Andrew T. Nelson; Mingxun Wang; Eric Leszczynski; Fernando Vargas; Julia M. Gauglitz; Michael J. Meehan; Emily Gentry; Timothy D. Arthur; Michael Downes; Ting Fu; Alexis C. Komor; Orit Poulsen; Brigid S. Boland; John T. Chang; William J. Sandborn; Meerana Lim; Neha Garg; Julie C. Lumeng; Ramnik J. Xavier; Barbara I. Kazmierczak; Ruchi Jain; Marie Egan; Kyung E. Rhee; David Ferguson; Ron M. Evans; Manuela Raffatellu; Hera Vlamakis; Gabriel G. Haddad; Dionicio Siegel; Curtis Huttenhower; Sarkis K. Mazmanian; Victor Nizet; Rob Knight; and Pieter C. Dorrestein. “Global Chemical Impacts of the Microbiome Include New Bile Acid Conjugates” Nature. 2020 Mar; 579(7797): 123–129.

Chandler MC, McGowan AL, Ferguson DP, and Pontifex MP. Carbohydrate Mouth Rinse has No Effects on Behavioral or Neuroelectric Indices of Cognition. International Journal of Psychophysiology. May 2020. 151. 49-58

Pritchard AE, Barthel SC, and Ferguson DP. “Cardiorespiratory responses reach vigorous-intensity levels during simulated game play of arena polo.” Translational Sports Medicine. May 2020. 3 (3) 250-255.

Rodrigues LA, Wellington MO, Sands JM, Weber LP, Olver TD, Ferguson DP, Columbus DA. Characterization of a Swine Model of Birth Weight and Neonatal Nutrient Restriction Current Developments in Nutrition. August 2020. 4 (8) 1-8.

McGowan AL, Ferguson D P, Gerde HK, Pfeiffer KA, and Pontifex MB. Preschoolers exhibit similar learning but greater on-task behavior following physically active lessons on the approximate number system. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. Sept 2020. 30 (9) 1777-1786.

2019

Ferguson, DP; Barthel, SC; Pruett, ML; Buckingham, TM; Waaso, PR. “Physiological responses of male and female drivers during competition.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2019 Dec;51(12):2570-2577.

McKnight, PJ; Bennett, LA; Malvern, JM; and Ferguson, DP. “VO_2peak, body composition, and neck strength of elite racing drivers.”  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2019 Dec;51(12):2563-2569.

*Leszczynski, EC; Visker, JR; and Ferguson, DP. (2019) “The effect of growth restriction on voluntary physical activity engagement in mice.” Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. 2019 Nov;51(11):2201-2209.

Ferguson, DP; Monroe, TO; Heredia, CP; Fleischman, RE; Rodney, GG; Taffet, GE; and Fiorotto, ML. “Postnatal undernutrition alters adult female mouse cardiac structure and function leading to limited exercise capacity.” The Journal of Physiology. Apr;597(7):1855-1872.

2018

Ferguson, DP; Myers, ND. “Physical fitness and blood glucose influence performance in IndyCar racing.”  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  Nov;32(11):3193-3206.

*Visker, JR and Ferguson, DP “Postnatal Undernutrition in Mice Causes Cardiac Arrhythmogenesis which is Exacerbated when Pharmacologically Stressed.” Journal of  Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. 9(4):417-424.

Marshall, MR; Paneth N;  Gerlach JA; Mudd LM,  Biery L; Ferguson, DP; Pivarnik JM.  “Differential methylation of insulin-like growth factor 2 in offspring of physically active pregnant women.” Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. 2018 Jun;9(3):299-306.

2015

Ferguson, DP, Dangott, LJ, Schmitt EE, Vellers, HL, Lightfoot, JT. “Differential Protein Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens of High and Low Active Mice.” Behavioral Brain Research. 2015 Sep 15;291:283-8

Ferguson, DP, Davis, A, Lightfoot, J.T. “Optimizing the Physical Conditioning of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Pit Crew Athlete.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2015 Mar;29(3):567-77

2014

Carlson, L, Ferguson, DP, Kenefick, RW, Cheuvront, SN. “Thermoregulatory and Physiological Responses of Stock Car Drivers During Competitive Racing.” Journal of Thermal Biology. 2014 Aug;44:20-6.

Ferguson, DP, Dangott, LJ, Lightfoot, J.T. “Lessons Learned from Vivo-morpholinos: How to avoid Vivo-Morpholino toxicity.” Biotechniques 2014 May 1;56(5):251-6.

Ferguson, DP, Dangott, LJ, Schmitt EE, Vellers, HL, Lightfoot, JT. “Differential Skeletal Muscle Proteome of High and Low Active mice.” Journal of Applied Physiology 2014 Apr 15;116(8):1057-67.

2013

Ferguson DP, Schmitt EE, Lightfoot JT. “Vivo-Morpholinos Induced Transient Knockdown of Physical Activity Related Proteins”. PLoS ONE 2013 Apr 22;8(4):e61472.

2011

Bowen RS, Ferguson DP, Lightfoot JT. “Effects of Aromatase Inhibition on the Physical Activity Levels of Male Mice.” Journal of Steroids and Hormone Science. 2011 Nov 25;1(1):1-7

Ferguson, DP, Bowen, RS, and Lightfoot, JT. “Heart Rate and Core Temperature Responses of Elite Pit Crews During Automobile Races.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  2011; 25(8): p.2075

2010

Timothy Lightfoot, Larry Leamy, Daniel Pomp, Michael J. Turner, Anthony Fodor, Amy Knab, Robert S. Bowen, David Ferguson, Trudy Moore-Harrison, Alicia Hamilton. “Strain Screen and Haplotype Association Mapping of Wheel Running in inbred Mouse Strains.” Journal of Applied Physiology. 2010 Sep;109(3):623-34.                        

Books

David P. Ferguson (editor). The Science of Motorsport. Routledge Publishers. 25 October 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203732311

Book Chapters

Ferguson, DP. “Chapter 8: Peripheral Mechanisms Arising From Genetics that Regulate Activity.” The Routledge Handbook of Sport and Exercise Systems Genetics. Routledge Publishers. 14 March 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315146287

*Pineault, LJ and Ferguson, DP. “Chapter 1: The biology of automobile racing, more than just turning left” The Science of Motorsport. Routledge Publishers. 25 October 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203732311

Ferguson, DP. “Chapter 9: Driver and team interactions” The Science of Motorsport. Routledge Publishers. 25 October 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203732311

NCBI Bibliography