Research areas
In healthy individuals, the controlled release of calcium causes the heart to beat strongly. Calcium is released through specialised gates called ryanodine receptors (RyR2). In patients with heart failure and fatal arrhythmias the release of calcium becomes erratic leading to weakened contraction of heart muscle and cell death. Using a combination of low noise electrophysiological recordings in combination with molecular and biochemical methods my group investigates intracellular calcium dynamics and the molecular function of RyR2 and other ion channels that are present on intracellular organelles. The aim of our research is to try to understand what happens to channel function under pathophysiological conditions.
PhD supervision
- Abbi Crichton
- Richard Edel
- Xueyu Guo
- Claudia Harper
- Jothi Letchumy Mahendra Kumar
Selected publications
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Open access
Dorward, A. M., Robertson, G. B., Sneddon, C., Edel, R. C., O'Rourke, C. L., Um, I. H., Harrison, D. J., Nishi, M., Takeshima, H., Murdoch, C. E. & Pitt, S. J., 31 Jan 2026, In: FASEB Journal. 40, 2, p. 1-16 16 p., e71440.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Guo, X., Paracchini, S. & Pitt, S., 4 Nov 2025, In: European Journal of Human Genetics. 33, Supplement S1, p. 1046-1047 2 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Abstract › peer-review
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Open access
Reglinski, M., Hurst, Q. W., Williams, D. J., Gierlinski, M., Tegin Şahin, A., Mathers, K., Ostrowski, A., Bergkessel, M., Zachariae, U., Pitt, S. J. & Coulthurst, S. J., Dec 2025, In: EMBO Journal. 44, 23, p. 6892–6918 27 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Watanabe, D., Edel, R. C., Nishi, M., Takeshima, H. & Pitt, S. J., 10 Dec 2025, In: Cells. 14, 24, 1958.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Abraham, K., Dorward, A. M., Hurst, Q. & Pitt, S. J., 1 Apr 2023, In: Heart. 109, Suppl 2, p. A2
Research output: Contribution to journal › Abstract › peer-review
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Open access
Stewart, A. J., Tuncay, E., Pitt, S. J. & Rainbow, R. D., 4 Aug 2023, In: Frontiers in Endocrinology. 14, 3 p., 1266173.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
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Open access
Fritzen, R., Davies, A., Veenhuizen, M., Campbell, M., Pitt, S. J., Ajjan, R. A. & Stewart, A. J., 17 May 2023, In: Nutrients. 15, 10, 19 p., 2355.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Open access
Dorward, A. M., Stewart, A. J. & Pitt, S. J., 16 Jun 2023, In: Journal of General Physiology. 155, 7, 18 p., e202213206.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Sobczak, A. I. S., Katundu, K. G. H., Phoenix, F. A., Khazaipoul, S., Yu, R., Lampiao, F., Stefanowicz, F., Blindauer, C. A., Pitt, S. J., Smith, T. K., Ajjan, R. A. & Stewart, A. J., 21 Mar 2021, In: Chemical Science. 12, 11, p. 4079-4093 15 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Martinelli, A., Rice, M., Talcott, J. B., Diaz, R., Smith, S., Hashim Raza, M., Snowling, M. J., Hulme, C., Stein, J., Hayiou-Thomas, M. E., Hawi, Z., Kent, L., Pitt, S. J., Newbury, D. F. & Paracchini, S., 15 Jun 2021, In: Human Molecular Genetics. 30, 12, p. 1160–1171 12 p., ddab111.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review