研究领域

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The brain and heart share the "spark of life". While they are vastly different in many respects, in order to function properly, both the brain and the heart rely on large, complicated proteins called ion channels. These proteins facilitate the controlled flow of ions in and out of cells by forming pores that stud cellular membranes. Specialized brain cells called neurons utilize ion channels and the resulting electrical signals that they generate to communicate with one another. A repertoire of different ion channels also shape the birth, growth and development of neurons. During brain injury, ion channel activity can render populations of neurons vulnerable to damage. However, following injury, ion channels can also sensitize surviving neurons and modify their structure and function in ways that allow them to respond, adapt and promote repair. Similarly, the electrical activity underlying the coordinated beating of heart muscle cells is generated by the concerted actions of a cohort of ion channels. It follows that mutations in the proteins that form ion channels can manifest in a spectrum of clinical neurological and heart conditions. I combine my expertise in ion channel biochemistry, cell biology, electrophysiology, and systems biology, along with key collaborations, to bridge critical knowledge gaps in the understanding of ion channel function and dysfunction in the brain and heart. My major focus has been the cell biology of pannexin ion channels and their role in neuronal development and injury-triggered plasticity. In collaboration with a group at the University of Ottawa, I am also studying how probenecid, a drug that stops the function of pannexins, impacts on stroke recovery. To "cast a wider net" to identify novel ion channel regulators of developmental and injury-triggered neuronal plasticity, my lab is combning basic biochemistry with cutting edge expertise at the UVic Genome BC Proteomics Centre. My expertise in unraveling the cell biology of several other types of ion channels over the course of my research career has led me to develop collaboration with the BC Community Genetics Research Program. In this partnership with Dr. Laura Arbour, I am investigating the cell biological underpinnings of clinically relevant ion channel mutations.