Skip to main content Skip to side navigation

Personnel

  • Elena Cruz

    Determining the functional effect of phosphorylated Calsequestrin Type II

  • Dr Michelle Munro

    Our lab investigates how changes in cardiomyocyte organisation influence function in cardiac arrhythmia and heart failure.

  • Elliot Sibbles

    How CSQ2 glycosylation influences heart failure and arrhythmia

  • Dr Helen Waddell

    How structural changes of cardiomyocytes contribute to atrial fibrillation and arrhythmia

Research interests

I am interested in how the cardiac ultrastructure impacts the function of the heart, in particular the organisation of specialised structures known as the dyad and transverse tubules.  I am investigating how these structures are remodelled in atrial fibrillation and heart failure, and whether specific proteins can be targeted to restore cardiac organisation and function in heart disease.

Projects

  • Restoration of calcium balance by calsequestrin in atrial fibrillation

Current funding

  • 2019–2022: Heart Foundation of New Zealand Research Fellowship
  • 2020–2022: Health Research Council Emerging Researcher First Grant

Previous funding

  • Heart Foundation of New Zealand small project grant

Publications

Waddell, H., de Jonge, W., & Munro, M. (2023). Preparation of functional human atrial slices and multi-day tissue culture. Heart, Lung & Circulation, 32(Suppl. 3), 680. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2023.06.584
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Keelty, G. B., de Jonge, W. M., Waddell, H. M. M., & Munro, M. L. (2023). Characterizing transverse tubules in the right atrium of arrhythmic patients. In T. Milne, M. Anwar, L. Burga, H. Harcombe, M. Garelja, A. Middleton, D. C. Ribeiro, N. Fleming, K. Ogbuehi & A. Bahn (Eds.), Proceedings of the 265th Otago Medical School Research Society (OMSRS) Meeting: Summer Student Speaker Awards. Dunedin, New Zealand: OMSRS. Retrieved from https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/12839
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Munro, M. (2022, June). Biphasic regulation of RyR2 activity by calsequestrin-2: Implications in Ca-mediated arrhythmias. Invited presentation at the XXIV World Congress of the International Society for Heart Research (ISHR), Berlin, Germany.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Parveen, S., Cheah, P. H. S., Worthington, L. P. I., Smither, R. A., Munro, M. L., Bussey, C. T., Lamberts, R. R., & Jones, P. P. (2022). Depressed HCN4 function in the type 2 diabetic sinoatrial node. Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s11010-022-04635-6
Journal - Research Article
Waddell, H. M. M., de Jonge, W. M., & Munro, M. L. (2022, August-September). Preparation of functional human atrial slices and multi-day tissue culture. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Parveen, S., Cheah, P. H. S., Worthington, L. P. I., Smither, R. A., Munro, M. L., Bussey, C. T., Lamberts, R. R., & Jones, P. P. (2022). Depressed HCN4 function in the type 2 diabetic sinoatrial node. Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s11010-022-04635-6
Journal - Research Article
Munro, M. L., van Hout, I., Aitken-Buck, H., Sugunesegran, R., Bhagwat, K., Davis, P. J., Lamberts, R. R., Coffey, S., … Jones, P. P. (2021). Human atrial fibrillation is not associated with remodeling of ryanodine receptor clusters. Frontiers in Cell & Developmental Biology, 9, 633704. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.633704
Journal - Research Article
Chakraborty, A. D., Gonano, L. A., Munro, M. L., Smith, L. J., Thekkedam, C., Staudacher, V., Gamble, A. B., … Jones, P. P. (2019). Activation of RyR2 by class I kinase inhibitors. British Journal of Pharmacology, 176, 773-786. doi: 10.1111/bph.14562
Journal - Research Article
Munro, M. L., Shen, X., Ward, M., Ruygrok, P. N., Crossman, D. J., & Soeller, C. (2018). Highly variable contractile performance correlates with myocyte content in trabeculae from failing human hearts. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 2957. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-21199-y
Journal - Research Article
Crossman, D. J., Shen, X., Jüllig, M., Munro, M., Hou, Y., Middleditch, M., … Soeller, C. (2017). Increased collagen within the transverse tubules in human heart failure. Cardiovascular Research, 113(8), 879-891. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvx055
Journal - Research Article
Munro, M. L., & Soeller, C. (2016). Early transverse tubule development begins in utero in the sheep heart. Journal of Muscle Research & Cell Motility, 37(6), 195-202. doi: 10.1007/s10974-016-9462-4
Journal - Research Article
Munro, M. L., Jayasinghe, I. D., Wang, Q., Quick, A., Wang, W., Baddeley, D., … Soeller, C. (2016). Junctophilin-2 in the nanoscale organisation and functional signalling of ryanodine receptor clusters in cardiomyocytes. Journal of Cell Science, 129, 4388-4398. doi: 10.1242/jcs.196873
Journal - Research Article
Jayasinghe, I. D., Clowsley, A. H., Munro, M., Hou, Y., Crossman, D. J., & Soeller, C. (2015). Revealing T-tubules in striated muscle with new optical super-resolution microscopy techniques. European Journal of Translational Myology, 25(1), 15-26. doi: 10.4081/ejtm.2015.4747
Journal - Research Article
Jayasinghe, I. D., Munro, M., Baddeley, D., Launikonis, B. S., & Soeller, C. (2014). Observation of the molecular organization of calcium release sites in fast- and slow-twitch skeletal muscle with nanoscale imaging. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 11(99), 20140570. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2014.0570
Journal - Research Article
Wang, W., Landstrom, A. P., Wang, Q., Munro, M. L., Beavers, D., Ackerman, M. J., … Wehrens, X. H. T. (2014). Reduced junctional Na+/Ca2+-exchanger activity contributes to sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ leak in junctophilin-2-deficient mice. American Journal of Physiology: Heart & Circulatory Physiology, 307(9), H1317-H1326. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00413.2014
Journal - Research Article
Sibbles, E. T., Waddell, H. M. M., Mereacre, V., Jones, P. P., & Munro, M. L. (2022). The function and regulation of calsequestrin-2: Implications in calcium-mediated arrhythmias. Biophysical Reviews, 14, 329-352. doi: 10.1007/s12551-021-00914-6
Journal - Research Other
Munro, M. L., & Jones, P. P. (2020). Too much of a good thing? Establishing a role of excessive RyR2 dephosphorylation in heart disease. Journal of Physiology, 598(6), 1115-1116. doi: 10.1113/jp279569
Journal - Research Other
Keelty, G. B., de Jonge, W. M., Waddell, H. M. M., & Munro, M. L. (2023). Characterizing transverse tubules in the right atrium of arrhythmic patients. In T. Milne, M. Anwar, L. Burga, H. Harcombe, M. Garelja, A. Middleton, D. C. Ribeiro, N. Fleming, K. Ogbuehi & A. Bahn (Eds.), Proceedings of the 265th Otago Medical School Research Society (OMSRS) Meeting: Summer Student Speaker Awards. Dunedin, New Zealand: OMSRS. Retrieved from https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/12839
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Waddell, H., de Jonge, W., & Munro, M. (2023). Preparation of functional human atrial slices and multi-day tissue culture. Heart, Lung & Circulation, 32(Suppl. 3), 680. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2023.06.584
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Silva, R., Ohline, S., Munro, M., & Jones, P. (2022). Role of ryanodine receptor clustering in Alzheimer's disease. In K. Horne (Ed.), Proceedings of the 38th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research (AWCBR). (pp. 52). Retrieved from https://www.queenstownresearchweek.org
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Munro, M. L., Shen, X., Ward, M., Crossman, D. J., & Soeller, C. (2016). Relationship between multi-scale cardiomyocyte organization and function in trabeculae of the failing human heart. Biophysical Journal, 110(3, Suppl. 1), (pp. 598a). doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.11.3195
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Munro, M. L., Jayasinghe, I. D., Wang, W., Baddeley, D., Wehrens, X. H. T., & Soeller, C. (2015). Nanoscale changes in ryanodine receptor organization in JPH2 transgenic mice. Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology, 86(Suppl.), (pp. S65). doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2015.07.025
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Munro, M. L., Shen, X., Ward, M., Crossman, D. J., & Soeller, C. (2015). The relationship between function and cellular organization in the failing human heart. Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology, 86(Suppl.), (pp. S63). doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2015.07.025
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Jayasinghe, I. D., Munro, M., Baddeley, D., Launikonis, B. S., & Soeller, C. (2014). Resolving the calcium release machinery of mammalian fast- and slow-twitch skeletal muscle. Biophysical Journal, 106(2, Suppl. 1), (pp. 123a-124a). doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.11.736
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Munro, M., Wang, W., Baddeley, D., Wehrens, X., & Soeller, C. (2014). Nanoscale changes in the organisation of junctional proteins in JPH2 transgenic mice. Biophysical Journal, 106(2, Suppl. 1), (pp. 448a). doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.11.2537
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Munro, M. L., Wang, W., Baddeley, D., Beavers, D., Wehrens, X. H. T., & Soeller, C. (2013). The organisation of calcium handling and junctional proteins in JPH2 transgenic mice. Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology, 65(Suppl.), (pp. S133). doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2013.10.011
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Munro, M., Wang, W., Baddeley, D., Wehrens, X., & Soeller, C. (2013). The organisation of T-tubules and junctional proteins in JPH2 transgenic mice. Heart, Lung & Circulation, 22(Suppl. 1), (pp. S9). doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2013.05.019
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Munro, M. L., Baddeley, D., & Soeller, C. (2012). Distribution of Gαs and co-localisation with calcium handling proteins in rat cardiomyocytes. Heart, Lung & Circulation, 21(12), (pp. 862). doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2012.08.029
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Iposu, K. O., Waddell, H. M. M., & Munro, M. L. (2022, August-September). Characterisation of t-tubules and dyads in human atrial myocytes. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Waddell, H. M. M., de Jonge, W. M., & Munro, M. L. (2022, August-September). Preparation of functional human atrial slices and multi-day tissue culture. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Back to top