In Person Seminar: Development of Cardiac Biorhythmicity

About this Seminar

Cardiac pacemaker cells initiate the electrical impulses that drive rhythmic contraction of the heart. Current research goals in Dr. Bressan's laboratory are aimed at determining how cardiac pacemaker cells sense, interpret, and respond to their local microenvironment during the embryological stages when they begin interacting with large populations of contractile cardiac muscle. Specifically, his lab seeks to understand:  i) the electrophysiological transitions through which pacemaker cells mature, ii) how these cells synchronize their behavior across multiple spatial scales, iii)  the morphogenetic events that balance pacemaker cell electrogenic interactions with the remainder of the heart, and iv) development concepts that can be leveraged to create cellular-based therapeutics for potential correction of human cardiac disease.

Additional Details

This is a free event hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and co-sponsored by the institute's Center for Vascular and Heart Research. The Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series, which runs annually from September to May, has featured leading biomedical researchers from throughout the country since the program began in 2012. The lectures are also open to all members of the Virginia Tech community including graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, and staff, as well as the public.

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