Dr. Hart and her team study how the autonomic nervous system regulates blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and metabolism in health and disease. Their main aim is to understand what mechanisms lead to autonomic dysfunction and cardiovascular disease, specifically in hypertension and heart failure. Dr. Hart's team use integrative physiology approaches to understand disease in humans. Two main research areas that are on-going in Dr. Hart's lab surround the role of brain in developing hypertension and how the reproductive hormones affect cardiovascular control and the development of hypertension. Dr. Hart's human research laboratory is situated in the Clinical Research and Imaging Centre-Bristol, which specialises in measuring sympathetic nerve activity directly from peripheral nerves in the body using a technique called microneurography. Other methodologies that the laboratory/group specialise in are measures of baroreflex and chemoreflex sensitivity, respiratory function, the exercise pressor reflex, arterial stiffness, cardiac and vascular function (using ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging) and finally, exercise capacity.