Guest speaker Prof. Rob Shave presents his research Jan. 16th
Who: Professor Rob Shave, Cardiff Metropolitan University
What: “Understanding the Heart: From Athletes to Apes”
Where: ART 376 (Arts Building), UBC’s Okanagan Campus
When: Thursday Jan 16th, 2014, 3:30-5 p.m.
How: Free event open to students, faculty, staff and general public
Abstract:
Prof. Rob Shave
Understanding the influence of exercise upon the heart from an acute, chronic and evolutionary perspective form the core of the work being completed in Prof. Shave’s laboratory.
Often, cardiac function is characterized by gross characteristics such as stroke volume (SV), heart rate, ejection fraction (EF) and cardiac output (Q). While these parameters provide valuable information regarding the overall performance of the heart, they tell us very little about the underpinning function of the myocardium. Myocardial deformation (strain, rotation and twist), is closely linked to myocardial ultrastructure, and describes the mechanics that underpin SV, EF and ultimately Q. Using advanced echocardiographic techniques it is now possible to examine cardiac mechanics at rest and during exercise.
In this talk, Prof. Shave explores the influence of exercise and environment upon cardiac mechanics and their role in meeting an increased circulatory demand. Furthermore, he will introduce recent work examining cardiac structure and function in great apes, which has been completed in an attempt to explore the evolution of the human heart.
