\ Projects \ Neural-Cardiac Modelling

We have successfully used a gene strategy to highlight the role of key enzymes involved in modulating cardiac excitability and neurotransmission, and identified specific ion channels that are regulated by proteins encoded by these enzymes. This has been advanced by our ability to re-engineer viral vectors with promoters to target specific cells types to avoid promiscuous transduction. Intracellular calcium dynamics are now being measured and these new data are being incorporated into our cardiac neural network model of neurotransmission. The data will form important model components which regulate enhanced sympathetic transmission seen in cardiac simulations of ischaemia where abnormal transmitter release effects post synaptic excitability.