Dr James Fraser
- Senior Lecturer
Research
Our recent work has focused on the consequences of abnormal Ca2+ homeostasis for cardiac function. We have shown that increased diastolic Ca2+ produces a significant decrease in action potential conduction velocity in both atria (1) and ventricles (2), and that there is a significant correlation between slowed conduction and arrhythmogenicity. These findings directly suggest novel strategies for research, diagnosis and treatment of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) (see e.g. here), as described in two recent editorials on our papers (here and here).
Skeletal muscle electrophysiologyOur work with skeletal muscle forms two broad streams. The first aims to feed findings into my group's cardiac research, while the second is aimed at understanding skeletal muscle electrophysiology with direct relevance to human diseases. The recent focus of the first stream has been on understanding the determinants of conduction velocity in muscle. We have been able to show precisely how conduction velocity is determined and how it is influenced by changes in structure and electrophysiology in health and disease (e.g. here and here). This has informed our work exploring the mechanisms that link abnormal cardiac Ca2+ homeostasis with slowed conduction. Our work in the second stream has recently provided insight into the phenotypic variation in myotonia congenita.
CollaboratorsProf Chris Huang, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge
Dr Folma Buss, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge
Dr Andrew Grace, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge
Assoc Prof Thomas Pedersen, Institute of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Aarhus, Denmark
Prof Aiqun Ma, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
Prof Ron Horgan, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge
Dr Ming Lee, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University of Manchester
Dr Yanmin Zhang, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
Teaching and supervision
I give the following lectures: MVST 1A: Heart and Circulation (5 lectures), MVST 1A: Renal Physiology and Body Fluid Homeostasis (6 lectures), NST 1B Physiology: the Mammalian Circulation (5 lectures), NST II Physiology: Mathematical Modelling in Physiology (2 lectures)
I also teach the following practical classes for NST Part II: Cellular modelling (2 afternoons), Microelectrodes I (2.5 days), Microelectrodes II (2.5 days), Loose Patch Clamp (2 days)