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NHH 5-108
312 Church St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States
Our goal is to develop fluorescence-based protein biosensors for 1) high-throughput screening campaigns and 2) to resolve structural regulation of Ca2+ handling proteins essential for muscle contraction. Ca2+ dysregulation in skeletal and cardiac muscle typically generates elevated intracellular Ca, preventing relaxation and depleting Ca stores needed for contraction. We focus on specific proteins in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane: ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels, which releases Ca2+ from the SR lumen out to the cytoplasm to stimulate muscle contraction, and S/ER Ca-ATPase (SERCA), which actively pumps Ca2+ back in to the SR lumen to induce relaxation. Further, we focus on small proteins that regulate RyR, including calmodulin (CaM), FK506 binding protein, and Ca2+/CaM dependent kinase II.
We approach this our research with a wide range of spectroscopic techniques, using the resources at the BMBB department’s Biophysical Technology Center. Our facility is a self-supporting non-profit organization, providing instrumental and training resources for optical spectroscopy and EPR for both UMN and non-UMN community.
2022 Biophysical Society Travel Award, awarded to participate in the Biophysical Society 66rd Annual meeting in San Francisco, USA.
2019 Postdoctoral Poster Prize, awarded at the Gordon Conference on Muscle: Excitation Contraction Coupling in Lucca, Italy.
2019 Biophysical Society Travel Award, awarded to participate in the Biophysical Society 63rd Annual meeting in Baltimore, USA.
2018 Service to Community Award, awarded by the College of Biological Sciences (UMN) for contributing to both a strongly supportive environment as well as new career development opportunities for CBS postdocs and research associates.
2018 Paul D. Boyer & James D. Peter Award, awarded by the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota for excellence in impactful research as a postdoc.
2016 Postdoctoral Finalist Presenter, selected for Visscher Symposium Young Investigator Competition, University of Minnesota.
2016 International Society for Heart Research North American Section Travel Award, awarded by ISHR-NAS to participate in the 2016 ISHR World Congress, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2015 Postdoctoral Poster Prize, awarded at the Gordon Conference on Muscle: Excitation Contraction Coupling in Newry, ME, USA.
2015 Gordon Conference Early-Career Travel Award, awarded to participate in the Gordon Conference on Muscle: Excitation Contraction Coupling in Newry, ME, USA.
2015 Barnum Travel Award, awarded by Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Minnesota to attend the Biophysical Society 57th Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD
2013 Student Poster Prize, (runner up) awarded at the Gage Conference on Ion Channels/Transporters in Canberra, Australia
2010 Student Poster Prize, (Co-recipient) awarded at Gage Conference on Muscle in Canberra, Australia
2010 – 2014 Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Sciences); John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR), Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, Australia; Mentor: Dr. Angela F. Dulhunty
2006 – 2009 Bachelor of Medical Science with First Class Honours; Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
2016 – 2018 American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate 2016 Postdoctoral Fellowship
2014 – 2016 American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate 2014 Postdoctoral Fellowship
2010 – 2014 Australian Postgraduate Award