Overview

Cardiovascular disease is major cause of morbidity and mortality:  in the UK over 7 million people live with cardiovascular or circulatory disease and every 3 minutes someone dies of such disease. Investigators in our School are focused on understanding how the heart and circulation work in health and sickness. We apply molecular, cellular, structural biological, electrophysiological, imaging and integrative physiological approaches to investigate key aspects of cardiovascular (dys)function.  Cell signalling and biology approaches are also used in our School to understand normal and pathological function of other body systems.

Research under this theme includes:

• Biochemical, molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin platelet function and bleeding disorders.
• Mechanisms of G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling and pharmacology in cardiovascular cells and neurones.
• Mechanisms that underpin electrical and contractile function of the heart and urinary bladder from single proteins to the intact tissue and organ levels.
• Mechanisms underlying Inherited disorders that adversely affect the heart and lungs.
• Autonomic control of respiratory and cardiovascular function in health and disease.
• Tissue repair and regeneration in response to inflammation and injury.
• Regulation of cartilage and bone homeostasis in development and disease.

Our research is inherently interdisciplinary and we collaborate closely with clinicians and scientists from other disciplines under the umbrellas of the Bristol Heart Institute and Mechanisms to Populations.