Hannah Lee

Profile

Project Title: Investigation of Novel Molecular Mechanisms for Regulation of Neuronal Calcium Channels

Summary: 

Dysfunction and dysregulation of voltage-gated calcium (CaV) channels has been implicated in a variety of physiological conditions, including chronic neuropathic pain, cardiac arrythmia, and hypertension. CaV channels transduce electrical activity into cellular calcium ion influx, which is crucial in a wide range of physiological events including synaptic transmitter release.

CaV channels consist of pore-forming alpha subunits, and auxiliary beta and α2δ-1 subunits which regulate the channel’s function and trafficking. The α2δ-1 subunit has been repeatedly implicated in chronic neuropathic pain pathways in which the subunit is upregulated, and it is known that expression of this subunit is essential for normal channel function, increasing calcium currents and trafficking of the channels to cell membranes.

Our lab investigates how the α2δ-1 subunit regulates calcium channel function and trafficking on a molecular level, as well as the development of potential inhibitors for this pathway which may be clinically relevant in the future. Techniques used to investigate this include flow cytometry, molecular biology, biochemical techniques, and electrophysiology.

Supervisor:

• Dr Ivan Kadurin

Research