Dr Daniel Boulton

Position

Associate Lecturer – Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine

Biography

Dr Boulton is an early career researcher (PhD 2018) with a strong background in exercise physiology and neurophysiology. He is one of the most experienced and skilful microneurographers in Australia. After receiving an Academic Excellence Scholarship (Western Sydney University), Dr Boulton was listed on the Dean’s Merit List (Top 2% across the School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University). Following this, he was awarded both the University Medal and Dean’s Medal for excellence in research and education for his achievements in their Honours and undergraduate degree (Sport and Exercise Science).

Dr Boulton has attracted grant funding, worth approximately $1.64 mil from prestigious organisations. In 2023, he was a CI for a NHMRC Ideas Grant 2028446 to explore neurophysiological effects of sensory technology for balance rehabilitation. Another relevant successful grant source has been from The Mason Foundation, exploring the role of the metaboreflex in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Dr Boulton works in the areas of neurophysiology, integrative physiology and neurological dysfunction in pain, fatigue, and exercise. He holds conjoint research and lecturing positions at the University of New South Wales and Neuroscience Research Australia and currently supervises 2 PhD students.

Dr Boulton has developed original techniques and protocols to measure and analyse nerve activity, which is important for many innovative studies. Dr Boulton has become a renowned microneurographer, utilising innovative approaches to be the first to record nerve activity in CFS, one of only a few to directly record nerve activity to contracting muscle, and successfully carried out sympathetic nerve activity-fMRI coupled experiments to identify origins of sympathetic nerve activity in the brain, central dysfunction in hypertension, and chronic pain. He has applied this unique skillset within numerous projects and has substantial experience in assessing all types of nerve activity in healthy and clinical populations.

Research interests

• neural control of blood pressure
• sympathetic nerve activity
• somatosensory neurophysiology
• neurophysiology of pain
• exercise physiology
• muscle fatigue
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• long COVID
• microneurography

Qualifications

PhD (Integrative physiology) Western Sydney University 2018

Publications

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