A Snapshot seminar hosted by the School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience
Abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects over 1% of the population and is a leading cause of stroke and heart failure in the elderly. A feared side effect of sodium channel blocker therapy, ventricular pro-arrhythmia, appears to be relatively rare in patients with AF. The biophysical reasons for this relative safety of sodium blockers are explored in our studies. Our work also highlights differences in biophysical properties of sodium channels in left atria and ventricles and their response to sodium channel blockers.
Bio Sketch - Dr Davor Pavlovic is an Associate Professor in Cardiovascular Sciences and a Lead for Cardiac Diseases Theme at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (ICVS). His primary research interest is to understand molecular mechanisms of ion transport in the heart and how these may be targeted to treat cardiovascular disease. His work is translational and focused on heart failure, arrhythmias and cardiorenal syndrome. Dr Davor Pavlovic has received awards by the International Society for Heart Research and European Society of Cardiology. He is Editor in Chief of the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology Plus and a Council member of the European Section of the International Society for Heart Research. Davor also acts a Deputy College Lead for Postgraduate Research at the College of Medical and Dental Sciences.