Funded Networks

Structural alterations in the myocardium and the substrate for cardiac fibrillation

European Coordinator:
  • Stéphane HATEM, Université Pierre Marie Curie, Paris (France)
North American Coordinator:
  • José JALIFE, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)
Members:
  • Kathleen GREEN, Northwestern University, Chicago (USA)
  • Michel HAISSAGUERRE, Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévèque, Bordeaux (France)
  • Fred MORADY, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)
  • Hakan ORAL, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)
  • Stephan ROHR, University of Bern (Switzerland)
  • Elise BALSE, INSERM U956 Université Pierre Marie Curie, Paris (France)
  • Ravi BIRLA, Frank BOGUN, Aman CHUGH, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)
  • Alain COULOMBE, INSERM U956 Université Pierre Marie Curie, Paris (France)
  • Mario DELMAR, New York University (USA)
  • Lisa GODSEL, Northwestern University, Chicago (USA)
  • Todd HERRON, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)
  • Meleze HOCINI, Pierre JAIS, Frederic SACHER, Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévèque, Bordeaux (France)
  • Jan KUCERA, University of Bern (Switzerland)
  • Xianming LIN, Sandeep PANDIT, Scott SWANSON, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)

Fibrillation is an abnormal cardiac rhythm that leads to rapid, irregular, unsynchronized contractions of the heart.  Fibrillation of the atria (AF) is a major cause of stroke, whereas fibrillation of the ventricles (VT/VF) is a major cause of sudden death.  AF and VT/VF typically occur in hearts that have undergone remodeling, changes in the physical structure in response to injury.

This network will examine how remodeling disrupts the heart’s electrical organization to cause fibrillation.  For example, the network will investigate how fibroblasts, cells which produce scar tissue, influence the electrical activity of nearby muscle cells. The network will also study how the heart’s physical and electrical organization affects its response to radiofrequency ablation treatment, in which the abnormal electrical pathways causing fibrillation are destroyed.  By combining the expertise of the investigators in molecular and cellular biology, electrophysiology, and imaging, this network will develop an integrative approach to the evaluation and treatment of AF and VT/VF.