In Person Seminar: Development of Cardiac Biorhythmicity
Michael Bressan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Cell Biology and Physiology
McAllister Heart Institute
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar: Development of Cardiac Biorhythmicity
Dec. 10, 2021
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Archived video
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.
You May Also Be Interested In...
-
Home Item
Exercise, the Fountain of Youth? , homeOct. 15, 2026, 5:30 p.m. (Reception at 5 p.m.) | Zhen Yan, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Center for Exercise Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC | Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture
-
Home Item
Data-Driven Discovery of Secreted Proteins as Cancer Immunotherapies , homeOct. 16, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Peng Jiang, Ph.D., Senior Investigator, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the Cancer Research Center — D.C.
-
Home Item
Mapping Different Excitatory and Inhibitory Input Types onto Single Cortical Pyramidal Neurons , homeOct. 30, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Elly Nedivi, Ph.D., William R. (1964) & Linda R. Young Professor of Neuroscience, The Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the Center for Neurobiology Research
-
Home Item
Drug Discovery in the Next Decade: From Genome Medicine to Clinical Trial in a Dish , homeNov. 5, 2026, 5:30 p.m. (Reception at 5 p.m.) | Joseph Wu, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Director, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine | Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture
-
Home Item
Presenting Therapeutic Peptides Using Synthetic Polymers , homeNov. 13, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Rachel A. Letteri, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Departments of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the Center for Vascular and Heart Research
-
Home Item
The Bitter Truth: Alcohol Use and Its Effects on Chemosensory Function , homeDec. 11, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Paule V. Joseph, Ph.D., MBA, Lasker Clinical Research Scholar, NIH Distinguished Scholar, Acting Chief, Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism Unit, NIDCD; Co-Director, National Smell and Taste Center; Attending Nurse Practitioner, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the Center for Health Behaviors Research