Translating cardiovascular ion channel and Ca <sup>2+</sup> signalling mechanisms into therapeutic insights
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide, driven by complex, multiscale mechanisms that span molecular, cellular and organ-level dysfunction. Effective therapeutic strategies therefore require integrative approaches that link fundamental biology to translational applications. The 8<sup>th</sup> UC Davis CardioVascular Symposium gathered experts in ion channel biophysics, Ca<sup>2+</sup> signalling, arrhythmia mechanisms and cardiovascular physiology to discuss recent advances and define emerging priorities. This white paper synthesizes the key themes and consensus points that emerged, highlighting progress in two core domains: (1) advances in cardiovascular electrophysiology and arrhythmia mechanisms, and (2) spatiotemporal dynamics of Ca<sup>2+</sup> signalling in cardiac and vascular function and remodelling. We also identify conceptual and technical challenges that must be addressed to accelerate therapeutic discovery and emphasize cross-cutting opportunities where experimental and computational approaches can converge. By integrating ion channel biology and Ca<sup>2+</sup> signalling mechanisms across scales, this work outlines new directions for advancing cardiovascular research and treatment.
Authors
- Thomas A. Longden (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7950-7677)
- Donald M. Bers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2237-9483)
- William E. Louch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0511-6112)
- Silvia Marchianò (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2488-9890)
- Manuel F. Navedo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6864-6594)
- Gonzalo Hernández (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4987-4150)
- Przemysław Radwański (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0750-2308)
- Matthew A. Nystoriak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8872-158X)
- C. Scott Smith
- Patrick M. Boyle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9048-1239)
- Walter L. Murfee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8247-4722)
- Osama F. Harraz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2061-1100)
- D Dobrev
- Swapnil K. Sonkusare
- Na Li
- Shanna Hamilton
- Miguel Martín‐Aragón Baudel
- Eleonora Grandi
- Madeline Nieves‐Cintron
Institutions
- University of Vermont (US)
- University of Maryland, Baltimore (US)
- Oslo University Hospital (NO)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Baylor College of Medicine (US)
- University of Oslo (NO)
- University of Washington (US)
- Montreal Heart Institute (CA)
- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (US)
- University of Florida (US)
- Masonic Medical Research Laboratory (US)
- Institutt for Eksperimentell Medisinsk Forskning (NO)
- Vermont Department of Health (US)
- West German Heart and Vascular Center Essen (DE)
- University of Virginia (US)
- The Ohio State University (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Journal of Physiology
- Published
- 2026-01-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1113/jp290180
- Primary Topic
- Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00