Head – Elizabeth Woodcock
Associate Professor Elizabeth Woodcock is a Principal Research Fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council and heads Baker IDI's Molecellular Cardiology laboratory.
Liz is known primarily for studies of mechanisms where the heart responds to stimulation, and how these processes contribute to heart disease. In particular this laboratory studies mechanisms associated with the regulation of intracellular calcium and the maintenance of ion channels. The laboratory is best known for defining a new cause of arrhythmogenesis, leading to sudden cardiac death. Their research concentrates on pinpointing the exact mechanisms involved in atrial and ventricular fibrillation, where the heart muscle cells beat out of synchrony and thus the heart is unable to pump blood effectively.
The long term aim is to develop treatments for sudden cardiac death that are well tolerated. Liz’s laboratory is also investigating novel mechanisms to increase the strength of the heart beat. This will improve quality of life for heart failure patients. They are also hoping to identify factors that may reduce damage to the heart during a heart attack. Reduction in damage to the heart will reduce the incidence of heart failure in the longer term.