For the second time, the New Scientist organization is awarding the title “Wetenschapstalent” (scientific talent) to a young researcher from Belgium or The Netherlands. Based on recommendations from all universities in both countries, the jury has selected 25 candidates from various disciplines. Jordi Heijman has been selected as one of these 25 candidates. The 5 finalists and final winner will be selected by combining votes from a jury with a popular vote from visitors to the New Scientist website. More information, and the option to vote, can be found at http://www.newscientist.nl/talent/.

We are looking for a motivated PhD student to join our team and work on a project about integrative computational modeling of cardiomyocyte calcium-handling. In this project, you will participate in ongoing experimental research (in particular confocal microscopy and patch-clamp experiments) to delineate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias. You will employ the thereby generated data to develop novel dynamic computational models (programmed in C++ and Matlab) to investigate the potential central role of (abnormal) Ca²⁺ handling in cardiac arrhythmogenesis. These models can be employed to integrate available data, design future experiments, predict potential effects of (antiarrhythmic) drugs, and extrapolate molecular and cellular findings to a multi-cellular environment, thereby providing important new insights to improve the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

The ideal candidate has successfully completed a master’s degree (or equivalent) in biomedical engineering, biochemistry, molecular biology, medicine, or related disciplines. He/she has a strong intrinsic motivation to commit to a 4 year PhD-program, a demonstrable interest in cardiovascular research, and an analytical mindset. Previous experience with computational modeling / programming experience, or relevant experimental techniques in molecular biology or electrophysiology is considered a plus.

The first of two whitepapers about K+-channel (dys)regulation in the heart that were written based on presentations and discussions during the 4th UC Davis Cardiovascular Symposium that took place March 3-4, 2016 in Davis, has now been accepted for publication in The Journal of Physiology. This first paper describes the structural basis of voltage-gated K+-channel function, as well as the mechanisms involved in regulation of K+ channel gating, expression, and membrane localization. The full citation is as follows:

Grandi E, Sanguinetti MC, Bartos DC, Bers DM, Chen-Izu Y, Chiamvimonvat N, Colecraft H, Delisle BP, Heijman J, Navedo MF, Noskov S, Proenza C, Vandenberg JI, Yarov-Yarovoy V. Potassium channels in the heart: Structure, function and regulation. J Physiol. 2016.

This is the start of the new website, which will provide information about some of the results from the lab.