Elizabeth Schroder Stumpf, PhD, associate professor of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine, Brian Delisle, PhD, professor of physiology, and their co-investigator Yuan Wen, PhD, assistant professor of physiology, were recently awarded a 4-year R01 grant, totaling $2,732,520, from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of National Institutes of Health (NIH) for their project Circadian Regulation of Cardiac Electrophysiology.
This interdisciplinary project lies at the interface between chronobiology and cardiac electrophysiology, generating new knowledge and insight into how circadian clocks impact the risk for cardiac arrhythmias. The molecular experiments address knowledge gaps in order to improve understanding of the circadian regulation of ion channel transcripts and proteins that impact arrhythmia susceptibility. Drs. Stumpf and Delisle’s work is imperative for advancing the science of sleep and circadian rhythms, particularly as arrhythmias significantly increase the risk of sudden cardiac death.
"Our project focuses on how lifestyle factors like light, food, and sleep shape the body's natural timekeeping system and, in turn, the health of the heart," says Dr. Stumpf. "Modern-day environmental exposures and habits, such as bright artificial light at night, late or irregular meals, and altered sleep cycles, can disrupt circadian rhythms, increasing the risk of abnormal and potentially deadly heart rhythms (arrhythmias). We are testing whether restoring a more natural daily pattern, mainly by shifting when we eat, can strengthen daily heart rate rhythms and protect against triggers for dangerous arrhythmias. By defining how circadian rhythms control the heart's electrical activity and how these effects differ between males and females, this work aims to help identify simple modifiable approaches to work with the body's circadian rhythm rather than against it. Ultimately, we are testing whether realigning feeding, sleep, and light exposure with the internal clock can be a powerful, science-based way to protect against heart rhythm disorders."
The experiments in the lab provide opportunities for important discoveries that may direct development of new treatments for patients with cardiac diseases. This grant between the UK College of Medicine Departments of Internal Medicine and Physiology also highlights a rich scientific environment, advocating for collaborations across multiple divisions.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01HL172813. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health