Latest publication

Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis of Cardiac Differentiation from Human PSCs Reveals HOPX-Dependent Cardiomyocyte Maturation

Dr Palpant and colleagues have published the most in-depth study of exactly how human stem cells can be turned into heart cells. The work involved measuring changes in gene activity in tens of thousands of individual cells as they move through the stages of heart development.

Unlike those tissues, the heart does not have the capacity for self-repair after damage (such as a heart attack). This is one reason why heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. This research may help us find ways to repair the heart in the future. Read more

Highlights

The Stem Cells and Cardiovascular Development lab run by Dr Nathan Palpant uses human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), genomics, genome editing, and disease modelling to study mechanisms controlling cardiovascular development and disease.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and new therapeutics are required to address growing public health demands. Expanding treatment options for cardiovascular diseases requires interdisciplinary research from developmental biology to translation.

To this end, Dr Palpant leads functional genomics and epigenetic studies at single cell resolution and across diverse cardiac and vascular fates to determine the genetic basis of cell identity and fate.

His team is developing stem cell models of disease for drug discovery. They are also building links with clinician/researchers bringing together stem cell biology, mechanical-assist devices, and large animal disease models to identify new approaches to address cardiovascular disease.

Dr Palpant received training in cardiac physiology (PhD, University of Michigan) and developmental biology and genomics (University of Washington), resulting in 27 publications in high-impact journals including Nature, Nature Protocols, and Development.

In November 2015, Dr Palpant relocated to The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience to establish the Stem Cells and Cardiovascular Development Laboratory.

During his career, Dr Palpant has received internationally competitive awards and positions including:

• The International Society for Heart Research Young Investigator Award
• International speaking invitations in the US, Europe, Australia, and Asia
• He is an IMB Group Leader, Co-Director of Stem Cells Australia’s Cardiac Repair and Regeneration theme, and Co-Director of the Queensland Facility for Advanced Genome Editing. 

Video

Using genomics to elucidate developmental cell lineage decisions, Dr Nathan Palpant

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Highlights

Dr Anne Lagendijk's research focusses on the development and maintenance of a functional blood vessel network. These cells that make up the vessels continuously adapt their size, adhesiveness and compliance order to ensure the right balance between vessel integrity and permeability in a context dependent manner. Mechanical cues play a major role in the functional adaptation of blood vessels. Despite ongoing research unraveling the structural components of mechanical hubs in the cells, it is essential to assess the magnitude of forces that are transduced at these sites and the biological consequences for vessel function. She has previously developed a VE-cadherin tension biosensor line in zebrafish. This line provides the first vertebrate model that reports intra-molecular tension. Dr Lagendijk utilised this tool to identify changes in junctional organisation and VE-cadherin tension that occur as arteries mature and revealed molecular pathways that allow for this maturation to happen.

In addition, she has developed new disease models that are allowing her to probe the initiating mechanisms of vascular malformations that lead to neurological deficits and stroke with unprecedented cellular and subcellular resolution. Dr Lagendijk is currently continuing on from her previous work by investigating how forces and mechanically induced pathways at distinct mechanically active sites in the cell contribute to building and maintaining a healthy vasculature.