Cardiovascular research themes
Molecular machinery of muscle contraction
Contraction of cardiac and skeletal muscle depends on the precise arrangement and interaction of elements of the excitation-contraction machinery and of the signalling pathways that regulate these.
Our research employs a range of imaging and biochemical approaches to study the molecular machinery of striated muscle contraction, with a particular focus on proteins that control intracellular calcium. Ultimately we use multi-scale computational modelling to link super-resolution imaging data with whole-cell and whole-organ function, to dissect the contribution of protein expression and spatial arrangement to the control of normal and abnormal cardiac function.
View a list of academics within Molecular Machinery of Muscle Contraction
View a list of postdoctoral researchers within Molecular Machinery of Muscle Contraction
Key researchers in the area
|
Name |
Area of expertise |
|
Dr Scott Bowen |
Skeletal muscle contractile function; post translational modifications; protein degradation |
|
Dr Sarah Calaghan |
Cardiac/skeletal excitation-contraction coupling; caveolae; compartmentalised signalling; protein chemistry; post translational modifications; light and electron microscopy |
|
Dr Michael Colman |
Computational modelling of the calcium signalling and contractile machinery to explore structure-function relationships underlying muscle contraction |
|
Professor John Colyer |
Technology development; protein engineering; protein chemistry; quantitative biomarker detection; light microscopy; cardiac excitation-contraction coupling; post translational modifications |
| Dr Izzy Jayasinghe Lecturer in Cardiovascular Science |
Super-resolution microscopy of the calcium signalling and contractile machinery as an avenue to understand the structural basis of muscle contraction |
| Dr Andrew Smith Lecturer in Cardiovascular Science |
Differentiation and maturation of cardiac progenitor cells |
| Professor Derek Steele Professor of Cell Physiology |
Cardiac and skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling; calcium signalling, compartmentalised signalling, electrophysiology, confocal imaging |