Rate My Professor Luke Wilson

Dr. Luke Wilson serves as a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, within the Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Division. He holds a PhD and specializes in integrative human physiology, with a primary focus on cerebro-, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurophysiology. His research examines physiological responses in both healthy individuals under resting conditions and imposed stressors such as exercise, mental stress, and thermal challenges, as well as in patients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. As a member of the Kidney in Health and Disease research group, Wilson contributes to studies aimed at preventing and treating kidney disease, including investigations into the effects of lithium on renal function, therapeutic targets for polycystic kidney disease, dietary-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome, clinical renal trials, renal function during high-performance exercise, and the progression of renal disease. He also explores innovative markers for early acute renal failure to enable timely interventions before irreversible damage occurs.

In his teaching role, Wilson serves as an Integrated Cases Tutor for ELM2 at the University of Otago. He is a member of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology and actively supports the academic community by editing proceedings for the Otago Medical School Research Society Meetings, including PhD Student Speaker Awards and Research Staff Speaker Awards events. Wilson's publication record includes key works such as 'Defining left ventricular geometry in a New Zealand population' (Heart, Lung & Circulation, 2024), 'The impact of peritoneal dialysis on oxypurinol and urate elimination in people with gout' (Nephrology, 2024), 'Self-regulation training for people with knee osteoarthritis: A protocol for a feasibility randomised control trial (MiNT Trial)' (Frontiers in Pain Research, 2024), 'Spinal pain in undergraduate dental students at the University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry' (New Zealand Dental Journal, 2023), and 'Physiological relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and fitness for surgery: A narrative review' (British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2023). Earlier influential publications encompass 'Human cardiorespiratory and cerebrovascular function during severe passive hyperthermia: effects of mild hypohydration' (Journal of Applied Physiology, 2008), 'Alterations in autonomic function and cerebral hemodynamics to orthostatic challenge following a mountain marathon' (Journal of Applied Physiology, 2007), and 'Cerebrovascular and corticomotor function during progressive passive hyperthermia in humans' (Journal of Applied Physiology, 2012). His research advances understanding of human physiological adaptations in health and disease contexts.