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Personnel

Research interests

My research focuses on investigating the mechanisms that underlie heart failure and vascular disease particularly in the context of hypertension and diabetes. To this end, we have developed a number of novel tools to assess cardiovascular signaling pathways.

These include:

  • FRET-based biosensors to measure kinase activity and localization in living cells
  • Custom antibodies to measure biochemical modifications of proteins
  • A variety of animal models with enhanced or reduced susceptibility to cardiovascular pathology.

With this research, we hope to contribute new understanding to the molecular basis of cardiovascular signaling that will culminate in potential clinical therapies for heart disease and atherosclerosis.

Projects

  • Identifying the mechanism by which CaMKII regulates cellular signaling in the diabetic heart
  • The role of CaMKII in vascular physiology and pathology
  • Nitric oxide as a mediator of cardiac signaling

Current funding

  • Health Research Council Project Grant
  • Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fast Start Research Grant
  • University of Otago Research Grant

Previous funding

  • American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant
  • National Institute of Health T32 Fellowship

Publications

Giles, G. I., Erickson, J. R., & Bussey, C. T. (2022). Photoactivation of tDodSNO induces localized vasodilation in rats: Metabolically stable S-nitrosothiols can act as targeted nitric oxide donors in vivo. Nitric Oxide, 129, 53-62. doi: 10.1016/j.niox.2022.10.001
Journal - Research Article
Khaing, E. P., Okolo, C. A., Erickson, J. R., & Jones, P. P. (2022, August-September). Regulation of RyR2 by O-GlcNAcylation. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Ashley, Z., Ebenebe, O. V., Erickson, J. R., & Heather, A. K. (2022, August-September). A new scoring system to evaluate atherosclerotic lesions in female ApoE-/- mice. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Roberts-Craig, F., Ashley, Z., Worthington, L. P., O'Hara, S. P., Erickson, J. R., & Heather, A. K. (2022, August-September). Lack of CaMKII is protective against atherosclerosis progression in aging ApoE-/- mice. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Mitchell, B., & Erickson, J. R. (2022, August-September). Structure/function effects of CaMKIIδ ablation in the diabetic heart. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Giles, G. I., Erickson, J. R., & Bussey, C. T. (2022). Photoactivation of tDodSNO induces localized vasodilation in rats: Metabolically stable S-nitrosothiols can act as targeted nitric oxide donors in vivo. Nitric Oxide, 129, 53-62. doi: 10.1016/j.niox.2022.10.001
Journal - Research Article
Greenman, A. C., Diffee, G. M., Power, A. S., Wilkins, G. T., Gold, O. M. S., Erickson, J. R., & Baldi, J. C. (2022). Treadmill running increases the calcium sensitivity of myofilaments in diabetic rats. Journal of Applied Physiology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00785.2021
Journal - Research Article
Greenman, A. C., Diffee, G. M., Power, A. S., Wilkins, G. T., Gold, O. M. S., Erickson, J. R., & Baldi, J. C. (2021). Increased myofilament calcium sensitivity is associated with decreased cardiac troponin I phosphorylation in the diabetic rat heart. Experimental Physiology, 106, 2235-2247. doi: 10.1113/ep089730
Journal - Research Article
Hegyi, B., Fasoli, A., Ko, C. Y., Van, B. W., Alim, C. C., Shen, E. Y., … Erickson, J. R., … Bers, D. M. (2021). CaMKII serine 280 O-GlcNAcylation links diabetic hyperglycemia to proarrhythmia. Circulation Research, 129, 98-113. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.120.318402
Journal - Research Article
Helmstadter, K. G., Ljubojevic-Holzer, S., Wood, B. M., Taheri, K. D., Sedej, S., Erickson, J. R., … Bers, D. M. (2021). CaMKII and PKA-dependent phosphorylation co-regulate nuclear localization of HDAC4 in adult cardiomyocytes. Basic Research in Cardiology, 116, 11. doi: 10.1007/s00395-021-00850-2
Journal - Research Article
Ng, Y. H., Okolo, C. A., Erickson, J. R., Baldi, J. C., & Jones, P. P. (2021). Protein O-GlcNAcylation in the heart. Acta Physiologica, 233, e13696. doi: 10.1111/apha.13696
Journal - Research Article
Prakoso, D., Lim, S. Y., Erickson, J. R., Wallace, R. S., Lees, J. G., Tate, M., … Ritchie, R. H. (2021). Fine-tuning the cardiac O-GlcNAcylation regulatory enzymes governs the functional and structural phenotype of the diabetic heart. Cardiovascular Research, 118, 212-225. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvab043
Journal - Research Article
Bussey, C. T., Babakr, A. A., Iremonger, R. R., van Hout, I., Wilkins, G. T., Lamberts, R. R., & Erickson, J. R. (2020). Carvedilol and metoprolol are both able to preserve myocardial function in type 2 diabetes. Physiological Reports, 8(5), e14394. doi: 10.14814/phy2.14394
Journal - Research Article
Ebenebe, O. V., Ashley, Z., Erickson, J. R., & Heather, A. K. (2020). A timing effect of 17-β estradiol on atherosclerotic lesion development in female ApoE−/− mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(13), 4710. doi: 10.3390/ijms21134710
Journal - Research Article
Popescu, I., Yin, G., Velmurugan, S., Erickson, J. R., Despa, F., & Despa, S. (2019). Lower sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ threshold for triggering afterdepolarizations in diabetic rat hearts. Heart Rhythm, 16(5), 765-772. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2018.11.001
Journal - Research Article
Curl, C. L., Danes, V. R., Bell, J. R., Raaijmakers, A. J. A., Ip, W. T. K., Chandramouli, C., … Erickson, J. R., … Delbridge, L. M. D. (2018). Cardiomyocyte functional etiology in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is distinctive: A new preclinical model. Journal of the American Heart Association, 7(11), e007451. doi: 10.1161/jaha.117.007451
Journal - Research Article
Daniels, L. J., Wallace, R. S., Nicholson, O. M., Wilson, G. A., McDonald, F. J., Jones, P. P., Baldi, J. C., Lamberts, R. R., & Erickson, J. R. (2018). Inhibition of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II restores contraction and relaxation in isolated cardiac muscle from type 2 diabetic rats. Cardiovascular Diabetology, 17, 89. doi: 10.1186/s12933-018-0732-x
Journal - Research Article
Bell, J. R., Raaijmakers, A. J. A., Curl, C. L., Reichelt, M. E., Harding, T. W., Bei, A., … Erickson, J. R., … Delbridge, L. M. D. (2015). Cardiac CaMKIIδ splice variants exhibit target signaling specificity and confer sex-selective arrhythmogenic actions in the ischemic-reperfused heart. International Journal of Cardiology, 181, 288-296. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.11.159
Journal - Research Article
Daniels, L., Bell, J. R., Delbridge, L. M. D., McDonald, F. J., Lamberts, R. R., & Erickson, J. R. (2015). The role of CaMKII in diabetic heart dysfunction. Heart Failure Reviews, 20(5), 589-600. doi: 10.1007/s10741-015-9498-3
Journal - Research Article
Erickson, J. R., Nichols, C. B., Uchinoumi, H., Stein, M. L., Bossuyt, J., & Bers, D. M. (2015). S-nitrosylation induces both autonomous activation and inhibition of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II δ. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 290(42), 25646-25656. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M115.650234
Journal - Research Article
Grimm, M., Ling, H., Willeford, A., Pereira, L., Gray, C. B. B., Erickson, J. R., … Brown, J. H. (2015). CaMKIIδ mediates β-adrenergic effects on RyR2 phosphorylation and SR Ca2+ leak and the pathophysiological response to chronic β-adrenergic stimulation. Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology, 85, 282-291. doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2015.06.007
Journal - Research Article
Pereira, L., Rehman, H., Lao, D. H., Erickson, J. R., Bossuyt, J., Chen, J., & Bers, D. M. (2015). Novel Epac fluorescent ligand reveals distinct Epac1 vs. Epac2 distribution and function in cardiomyocytes. PNAS, 112(13), 3991-3996. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1416163112
Journal - Research Article
Bell, J. R., Erickson, J. R., & Delbridge, L. M. D. (2014). Ca2+/calmodulin dependent kinase II: A critical mediator in determining reperfusion outcomes in the heart? Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology & Physiology, 41(11), 940-946. doi: 10.1111/1440-1681.12301
Journal - Research Article
Erickson, J. R. (2014). Mechanisms of CaMKII activation in the heart. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 5, 59. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2014.00059
Journal - Research Article
Jian, Z., Han, H., Zhang, T., Puglisi, J., Izu, L. T., Shaw, J. A., … Erickson, J. R., … Chen-Izu, Y. (2014). Mechanochemotransduction during cardiomyocyte contraction is mediated by localized nitric oxide signaling. Science Signaling, 7(317), ra27. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.2005046
Journal - Research Article
Zhang, D.-M., Chai, Y., Erickson, J. R., Brown, J. H., Bers, D. M., & Lin, Y.-F. (2014). Intracellular signalling mechanism responsible for modulation of sarcolemmal ATP-sensitive potassium channels by nitric oxide in ventricular cardiomyocytes. Journal of Physiology, 592(5), 971-990. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.264697
Journal - Research Article
Erickson, J. R., Pereira, L., Wang, L., Han, G., Ferguson, A., Dao, K., … Bers, D. M. (2013). Diabetic hyperglycaemia activates CaMKII and arrhythmias by O-linked glycosylation. Nature, 502, 372-376. doi: 10.1038/nature12537
Journal - Research Article
Roberts-Craig, F. T., Worthington, L. P., O'Hara, S. P., Erickson, J. R., Heather, A. K., & Ashley, Z. (2022). CaMKII splice variants in vascular smooth muscle cells: The next step or redundancy? International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23, 7916. doi: 10.3390/ijms23147916
Journal - Research Other
Veitch, C. R., Power, A. S., & Erickson, J. R. (2021). CaMKII inhibition is a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent diabetic cardiomyopathy. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12, 695401. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.695401
Journal - Research Other
Bussey, C. T., & Erickson, J. R. (2018). Physiology and pathology of cardiac CaMKII. Current Opinion in Physiology, 1, 52-58. doi: 10.1016/j.cophys.2017.07.003
Journal - Research Other
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