Professor David G Allen

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Themes | Research interests | Grants | Research project opportunities | Keywords | International links

Themes

Neurosciences and Mental Health; Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Research interests

The Laboratory of Muscle Cell Function analyses heart and skeletal muscle function both in health and disease. Our main approach has been to isolate single cells (ventricular muscle, skeletal muscle, pacemaker cells) and use fluorescent indicators to measure key intracellular ionic concentrations, for instance Ca2+, Na+ and pH together with indicators of function, such as force, shortening or electrical activity. Increasingly we use Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and expression systems to identify and localize proteins in the cells under study.

We also perform some whole animals studies, for instance running mice on treadmills and running wheels, to understand how exercise modifies muscle behaviour and how drugs modify disease processes.

Current national competitive grants*

2010

Intracellular calcium in intact muscle during fatigue and stretch-induced damage
Allen D
ARC Discovery Project ($285,000 over 3 years)

2009

The role of calcium and TRPC channels in sinoatrial node ageing
Ju Y, Allen D, Cannell M
NHMRC Project Grants ($370,125 over 3 years)

2005

Molecular Mechanisms Of Cardiac Function And Disease
Graham R, Allen D, Fatkin D, Feneley M, Harvey R
NHMRC Project Grant. Shared Research Support ($1,236,165 over 5 years)

* Grants administered through the University of Sydney

Research project opportunities

How stretch activated channels contribute to muscular dystrophy

International links

Germany. (Research Centre, Karlsruhe.) Dr Rudiger Rudolf and I have collaborated on a study of genetically-encoded calcium sensors in muscle..
New Zealand. (University of Auckland) Collaboration with Dr Marie Ward on the stretch-dependence of cardiac muscle..
Sweden. (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm) Long running collaboration (since 1989) with Dr Hakan Westerblad on mechanisms of fatigue in skeletal muscle..
Hong Kong S.A.R.. (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) Collaboration with Dr Ella Yeung on mechanisms of stretch-induced damage in muscle..
United States. (University of New York at Buffalo) Professor Fred Sachs and I have a shared interest in stretch-activated channels and their role in disease..

Keywords

Cells and cell physiology; Cardiovascular diseases; Musculoskeletal diseases