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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 479 8102
Email
michelle.munro@otago.ac.nz
Position
Senior Lecturer
Department
Department of Physiology
Qualifications
MSc PhD
Research summary
Our lab investigates how changes in cardiomyocyte organisation influence function in cardiac arrhythmia and heart failure.

Research

My lab is primarily interested in the ultrastructural organisation of cardiac muscle cells. Our focus is on how this changes in different types of heart disease and the impact it has on cardiac function. This includes studying the organisation of different structures and proteins involved in calcium handling in the heart, such as the transverse tubules and dyadic proteins.

Our current project is looking at the role of a calcium-binding protein in the development of atrial fibrillation - the most common cardiac arrhythmia. We use a combination of techniques, including immunohistochemistry, western blotting, confocal microscopy of fixed and live samples, as well as super-resolution imaging.

Publications

Waddell, H. M. M., Mereacre, V., Alvarado, F. J., & Munro, M. L. (2023). Clustering properties of the cardiac ryanodine receptor in health and heart failure. Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology, 185, 38-49. doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2023.10.012 Journal - Research Other

Okolo, C. A., Khaing, E.-P., Mereacre, V., Wallace, R. S., Munro, M. L., Erickson, J. R., & Jones, P. P. (2023). Direct regulation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) by O-GlcNAcylation. Cardiovascular Diabetology, 22, 276. doi: 10.1186/s12933-023-02010-3 Journal - Research Article

Tristão Cruz, A., de Jonge, W. M., Waddell, H. M. M., & Munro, M. L. (2023, August). Sex differences in the fibrotic remodelling of diabetic patients. Poster session presented at the 17th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Baxter, K. E., de Jonge, W. M., & Munro, M. L. (2023, August). Organisation of calsequestrin-2 in a failing and diabetic heart. Poster session presented at the 17th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Kilworth, J. N. K., Munro, M. L., & McDonald, F. J. (2023, August). Investigating the functional interaction between the epithelial sodium channel and Ca2+ signalling in breast cancer. Poster session presented at the 17th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

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