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
Lecturer in Exercise Physiology

Skeletal muscle contractile function; post translational modifications; protein degradation

Dr Sarah Calaghan
Associate Professor of Cardiac Physiology

Cardiac/skeletal excitation-contraction coupling; caveolae; compartmentalised signalling; protein chemistry; post translational modifications; light and electron microscopy 

Dr Michael Colman
University Academic Fellow

Computational modelling of the calcium signalling and contractile machinery to explore structure-function relationships underlying muscle contraction

Professor John Colyer
Professor of Biotechnology

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

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