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May 20, 2025
Changes in the aging heart may lessen the risk of irregular heartbeats
Virginia Tech researchers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC have discovered that microscopic structural changes in the aging heart may reduce the risk of irregular heartbeats.
Medically known as arrhythmias, irregular heartbeats become more common with age and can lead to health problems.
But a new study in JACC Clinical Electrophysiology, a journal of the American College of Cardiology, revealed that a tiny gap between heart cells called the perinexus naturally narrows with age — an adaptation that may help stabilize heart rhythm.
The discovery challenges the idea that all age-related changes in the heart are harmful.
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The Role of Exercise in Memory Function , homeMay 23, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Henriette van Praag, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University | Co-Sponsored by the Center for Exercise Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
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The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is one of the nation’s fastest-growing academic biomedical research enterprises and a destination for world-class researchers. The institute’s Virginia Tech scientists focus on diseases that are the leading causes of death and suffering in the United States, including brain disorders, heart disease, and cancer. Since its founding in 2010, the research institute has experienced unprecedented growth: doubling its enterprise and lab facilities in Roanoke, while also investing in brand-new laboratories on the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C.
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The Role of Exercise in Memory Function , homeMay 23, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Henriette van Praag, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University | Co-Sponsored by the Center for Exercise Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
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Research in Progress Seminar , homeMay 27, 2025, 4 p.m. | Mary Elizabeth Baugh, Ph.D. and Mikel Cawley | Spring Research in Progress Seminar Series
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Pathways and Regulation of Cardiac Nav1.5 Channel Trafficking in Adult Myocytes , homeMay 30, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Gea-Ny Tseng, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Vascular and Heart Research
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2025 Cancer Research Center Symposium , homeJune 11-12, 2025 | Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC | 4 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, Virginia
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20th International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference , redirectJune 1-5, 2026 | IBEC 20206: Exercise and Healthspan | Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
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