Elissavet Kardami

Biography

Diploma (Biology), Univ. of Athens, 1975 Ph.D. (Biophysics), Univ. of London, UK, 1979 Postdoctoral Fellow (Biophysics), Univ. of London, UK, 1980 Postdoctoral Fellow, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 1981-83 Research Associate (Zoology), Univ. of CA-Berkeley, 1984-86 Assistant Professor (Physiology), Univ. of Manitoba, 1987-92 Staff Scientist, S.B.G.H. Res Ctr, Manitoba 1988-present Associate Professor (Physiology), Univ. of Manitoba, 1993-1998 Associate Professor (Anatomy), Univ. of Manitoba, 1993-1998 Professor (Physiology), Univ. of Manitoba, 1998-present Professor (Anatomy), Univ. of Manitoba, 1998-present

Research Interest

We are working on the signal transduction pathways triggered by the growth factor FGF-2 in cardiac myocytes leading to (a) proliferation, (b) protection from injury and cell death and (c) affecting cardiac gap junction channels. In (a) we are focusing on eliminating signals that are antagonistic to the proliferative effect of FGF-2. In (b) we are examining FGF-2 and its mutants as potential therapeutic agents in the context of 'reperfusion injury' that occurs during a heart attack. In (c) we use structure function studies of the gap junction protein connexin-43, to identify regions involved in the regulation of cardiac cell to cell communication (related to arrhythmias) and growth.