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Joanne F. Garbincius, PhD

Instructor, Aging + Cardiovascular Discovery Center (ACDC)

Joanne Garbincius
About Me

Research Interests

The long-term focus of our research is to understand how striated muscle cells couple changes in energetic demand to changes in mitochondrial energy metabolism, and how disruption of this process contributes to disease. Ion flux across the inner mitochondrial membrane directly and indirectly influences the generation of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation and so represents a key regulatory node in mitochondrial energy homeostasis. The balance between mitochondrial calcium uptake and efflux has emerged as a critical signal that governs mitochondrial energetics, as well as redox signaling and cell death. Our recent work has demonstrated the role of increased mitochondrial calcium accumulation in pathological cardiac hypertrophy and non-ischemic heart failure. Growing evidence implicates altered mitochondrial calcium homeostasis in numerous other pathologies including ischemia-reperfusion injury, muscular dystrophies, neurodegeneration, and cancer. Our ongoing studies aim to understand the regulatory mechanisms that control mitochondrial calcium efflux and how they can be targeted for the treatment of heart failure and skeletal muscle disease.

Education, Training & Credentials

Educational Background

  • PhD, Rackham Graduate School University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Memberships

  • American Heart Association
  • American Physiological Society
  • International Society for Heart Research
Publications

Digital Bibliography

View Digital Bibliography