Dr. Peter Latchman, a professor in the Department of Health and Movement Sciences, has gained international recognition for his research study titled, “Autonomic Modulation, Spontaneous Baroreflex Sensitivity, and Fatigue in Young Men After COVID-19.”
The study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the autonomic nervous system better to understand physiological changes after a six-month recovery period. The findings revealed no significant differences in sympathetic, parasympathetic, or baroreflex sensitivity between young men who had contracted COVID-19 and those who had not.
Latchman explained, “The results suggest that while there may be initial impairments in autonomic function at the onset and during the disease, after six months, we are not observing these impairments, indicating that autonomic function is preserved in young men post-COVID.”
Just this summer, Latchman was honored by GC Foster College of Sports and Physical Education in Jamaica for his 15 years of contributions to the institution. Over the years, Latchman has collaborated with GC Foster in various ways, including advising them on setting up a master’s degree in physical education and sourcing equipment for their exercise physiology lab.
“GC Foster is very special in that it’s the only institution of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean,” said Latchman. “All islands would send their students to GC Foster because it’s the only exclusive sports/physical education institution in the region.”
Latchman’s research interests include autonomic modulation of cardiovascular function, ethnicity and baroreflex sensitivity, autonomic function in obese children, and the association between COVID-19, hemodynamics, and autonomic function.
