BioMedical Sciences Research Forum
Wednesday, April 12, 12-1 p.m.
HSC-5M101; online
Dr. Bruno Stuyvers
Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences
Division of Biomedical Sciences, MUN
Title:
Fluorescence, confocal microscopy, and live cell imaging: A winning combination in the study of pro-arrhythmic calcium in the heart.
Abstract:
Dr. Stuyvers’ research interest is the spontaneous oscillations of calcium concentration in cardiac cells. He developed the theory of “SR-Ca-adjustment” which presents spontaneous liberations of Ca2+ by the endo/sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) as a fine adjustment mechanism that enables cardiac muscle to produce the same force heartbeat after heartbeat. Under abnormal conditions, the intensity of this SR-Ca2+ release increases and can depolarize the cell membrane, which triggers electric signals in the heart and initiate life-threatening arrhythmias (VTs, VFs). These Ca2+ mediated arrhythmias are currently implicated in the sudden cardiac death associated with number of clinical conditions including ischemic cardiac diseases. To visualize and investigate the regional liberations of Ca2+, Dr. Stuyvers used various techniques of live cell imaging in hearts of mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, pig, sheep, and human. From his participation in the construction of the first cellular calcium imaging setup to current approaches of cardiac intracellular structure/activity, Dr. Stuyvers will present the most important steps and latest progress of his research on the fundamental origins of Ca2+ arrhythmogenicitiy in heart cells.
For webex details: please contact Andrea Squires at andreasquires@mun.ca
Presented by Division of BioMedical Sciences