University of Vermont · NeuroscienceLavoie Lab
Brigitte Lavoie · Burlington, Vermont
Research Focus
Dr. Brigitte Lavoie's research focuses on understanding gallbladder diseases, particularly how inflammation and muscle dysfunction in the gallbladder contribute to the formation of gallstones. By investigating the cellular mechanisms that affect gallbladder contraction and researching potential treatments, her lab aims to provide insights that could lead to better management of this common digestive disorder.
gallbladder diseasesmooth muscle dysfunctioninflammationgallstonescellular mechanismsbiliary stasistherapeutic interventions
Research Aims
3AIM 01Elucidate the cellular mechanisms disrupting gallbladder smooth muscle contractility in gallstone disease.
AIM 02Determine the role of inflammation in gallbladder smooth muscle dysfunction and its effects on gallstone formation.
AIM 03Explore the potential of hydrophilic bile salts to reverse dysfunction in gallbladder muscle cells.
Skills the Lab Values
optogenetic Ca2+ imagingpatch clamp recordingintracellular recordingmuscularis tension measurementsanimal handling (mice)experimental designin vitro techniquesdata analysis using Pythonhistological techniquescell culture
Output against the department
Publications84bottom 25% of dept.502nd of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations5.7kbottom 40% of dept.401st of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.