MSc by Research in Cardiovascular - Skeletal Muscle in Health and Disease

University of Leeds

Skeletal muscle is vital for life, underpinning locomotion, respiration, and metabolism, yet we still poorly understand its response to exercise and disease. Our research focuses on skeletal muscle structure and function using a range of approaches from assessment of fundamental molecular mechanisms that underlie excitation-contraction coupling through to whole-body functional measures that underpin muscle performance. Our interests lie in the muscle itself, including blood vessels and fibre composition, as well as in the neural mechanisms and pathways through which the central nervous system and skeletal muscles communicate. We investigate the mechanisms of a range of conditions/diseases which affect skeletal muscle including fatigue, atrophy/hypertrophy, malignant hyperthermia, statin myopathy and heart failure, with a focus on the influence of physical activity, nutrition and drugs.