Dr. Nicole Brunton

Biography

Nicole Brunton is an assistant professor in the Department of Respiratory Therapy at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Manitoba. Her research focuses on improving prognosis and health-related quality of life for individuals with chronic respiratory disease. Brunton emphasizes integrative systems physiology, particularly respiratory function, and employs novel methods of causal inference to understand the occurrence and progression of respiratory diseases across the lifespan. She is currently accepting master's and PhD students and offers undergraduate research opportunities through the Undergraduate Research Awards 2025. Her current research project examines cardiopulmonary responses to exercise in individuals with a history of vaping, focusing on early functional impairments that provide sensitive, non-invasive means of detecting Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) in adolescents and young adults. Brunton began her clinical career as a registered kinesiologist in an acute care hospital in Northwestern Ontario, where she collaborated with health professionals and conducted clinical research. She completed her graduate studies at the University of British Columbia and pursued her PhD training in epidemiology at the University of Manitoba, concentrating on causal inference related to chronic disease development throughout the life course.

Research Interests