Université catholique de Louvain
Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Pôle de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique
Jean-Luc Balligand
Jean-Luc Balligand and his team developed the core of their research projects in the biochemistry and cellular biology of nitric oxide synthases (NOS) including their regulation in cardiovascular tissues. His group initiated the research on the role of NOS in cardiac myocyte contractility which is being extended in the context of myocardial remodelling and regeneration, e.g. in response to neurohormones and adrenoceptors. His lab has recognized expertise in cell signalling and cardiovascular pharmacology using in vitro and in vivo models. JL Balligand is Head of the FATH Pole within IREC and also practicing Physician at the Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, UCL and teaches cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology at UCL Medical School.
More recently, JL Balligand has developed these research directions as associated partner of a Leducq Foundation-funded transatlantic network of excellence in cardiovascular sciences and of the FP6-EUGeneHeart consortium that laid the ground for innovative research in therapeutics for heart failure. He also coordinates several collaborative programmes (Concerted Actions, Interuniversity Attraction Pole) funded by the Politique Scientifique Fédérale.
Expertise
The FATH Pole has a strong track record in pharmacology and signaling, particularly through nitric oxide synthases (NOS) in the heart and vessels. In particular, FATH has expertise in physiological and in molecular regulation of membrane receptors and downstream effectors, including NOS, in animal and human myocardium, cardiac myocytes and vascular cells (e.g. through kinases -PI3K and Akt-dependent phosphorylation, chaperone interaction such as hsp90, calcineurin and caveolin binding).
It has access to various transgenic mouse strains and human cardiac tissue samples. The lab is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for biochemistry (including Seahorse platform for high-throughput metabolic phenotyping), molecular biology, cell physiology (including IONOPTIX platform for measurements of sarcomere shortening and calcium fluorescence) and animals phenotyping (e.g. with implanted telemetry).
Interested in collaborating on
We seek collaboration with groups that have expertise in phenotype-genotype correlations, based on registries of specific cardiovascular diseases with tissue/blood/DNA collections, genotyping and bioinformatic analysis.
