The department of physiology and pathophysiology welcomes Dr. Robert Lakin and Dr. Xiong Liu.
Dr. Robert Lakin (Toronto, York University) is a basic scientist with expertise in cardiovascular and exercise physiology. He also has expertise in electrophysiologic changes to conduction in atrial tissues in heart, as well as the impact of intense exercise and aging in the heart.
Dr. Lakin will be a new member of the cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology section within our department and his lab will be located within the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the St. Boniface General Hospital campus (Albrechtsen Research Centre).
In particular, Dr. Lakin will focus on atrial fibrillation (AF): Investigating how mechanical stress, aging and volume overload affect the heart’s upper chambers to trigger AF. Exercise physiology: Studying how intense or chronic endurance exercise reshapes the heart and alters arrhythmia risks. Translational biology: Using preclinical mouse models to map out cardiac fibrosis, inflammation, and cellular mechanisms linked to heart strain. Dr. Lakin will join the department this fall.
Dr. Xiong Liu is a physiologist whose expertise is in ion channel electrophysiology, pancreatic islet biology and diabetes research. He earned his PhD in physiology from the University of Alberta, where his work focused on the functional and structural characterization of ion channels.
Dr. Liu will join the section of endocrinology and metabolic diseases within the department of physiology and pathophysiology this winter.
Among other areas, Dr. Liu is recognized for his studies in diabetes and islet biology: investigating how alpha- and beta-cells dysfunctions cause early-stage glucose intolerance and late-stage diabetes. Electrophysiology: Utilizing high-resolution single-cell capacitance and current traces to analyze cell behaviors. Ion Channels: Characterizing the functional and structural aspects of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels.