The long-term objective of Dr. Kenney’s research program is to determine how sympathetic nerve regulation is altered by aging, environmental and immune stress, and pathophysiological conditions. The primary experimental approach combines central and peripheral electrophysiological methods with molecular biological techniques to study integrative mechanisms regulating central sympathetic outflow. Central sympathetic neural networks regulate the basal level of activity and the sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) bursting pattern, as well as the acute responsiveness of the sympathetic nervous system. Current studies seek to determine how advancing age alters central mechanisms regulating SND under basal conditions and in response to acute physical stress. The basic approach capitalizes on knowledge of central sympathetic regulatory strategies to probe the fundamental mechanistic interactions between aging and SND regulation using an integrative experimental approach involving electrophysiological, central microinjection, molecular biological, and proteomic approaches. A more complete understanding of central sympathetic neural circuits is critical for determining the role of the sympathetic nervous system in physiological regulation, disease processes, and advancing age.