Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

: The cardiac ryanodine receptor (RYR2) is a heart calcium channel involved in the electrical signaling that causes every contraction of the heart. We have evidence that RYR2 is also involved in other important signaling tasks such as regulating heart rate and maintaining cell metabolism (providing energy to pay for heart contractions). These represent important ideas about how the heart functions at its most fundamental level. There is evidence that RYR2 is dysfunctional or deficient in several forms of heart disease and heart failure which are associated with reduced heart contraction, altered heart rate, or impaired energy metabolism. We believe that RYR2 dysfunction may be an important and poorly understood driver of heart disease. To better understand how chronic RYR2 deficiency may contribute to heart disease we have created genetically engineered mice which have a 50% decrease in RYR2 protein levels in the heart which mimics the RYR2 deficiencies seen in heart disease. Our research may provide new insight into the progression of heart disease as well as define future therapeutic targets and strategies to treat heart diseases.