Osha Roopnarine, Ph.D.

Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics
Research Assistant Professor
Pilot Research Grant
"Structural Dynamics of Cardiomyopathy-Causing Myosin Mutations Using High Throughput Fluorescence Spectroscopy"

Dr. Roopnarine's research goals are to study the molecular mechanism of muscle contraction, with an emphasis on applications to human heart disease. She is using multidisciplinary approaches to solve fundamental problems in the mechanism of muscle contractility, focusing on familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC). Her research will address biological questions based on the functional and molecular dynamics of (1) the interactions of myosin and actin in the heart and skeletal muscle, and (2) myosin heavy chain and light chains mutations that cause the FHC disease. Her research combines, in a unique and powerful way, the approaches of molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and physiology to study the molecular basis of cardiac muscle function and malfunction. They are using recombinant baculovirus and plasmids for the expression of specific muscle protein mutants (in insect and bacterial cells) for biochemical functional, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy, and muscle fiber mechanics measurements.

Contact Info

Main List - 2003-2004 Scholars