Katharine Dibb

Biography

Katharine Dibb is a lecturer in the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Manchester. She came to Manchester following her PhD at the University of Leeds. After completing a post-doctoral position she received a Stepping Stone Fellowship from the University of Manchester to investigate cellular and molecular substrates for arrhythmias in ageing. She was then awarded a British Heart Foundation Intermediate Research Fellowship to investigate the structure and function of the atria of the heart in ageing and atrial fibrillation.

Research Interest

Structure and Function of the Atria of the Heart My research focus is the atria of the heart and how it functions in both health and disease. Far less is known about the atria compared to the well-studied ventricle despite the prevalence of atrial disease. In the ventricle structures called transverse (t)-tubules are important for controlling the rise in intracellular calcium which makes cells contract. T-tubules were thought to be absent from the atria but we identified an extensive atrial t-tubule network and highlighted their functional importance. We are continuing work to help us understand how t-tubules and other cellular proteins control the rise in intracellular calcium in the atria.