• Question: what do u research

    Asked by cakeking to Loan, Praveen on 9 Nov 2015. This question was also asked by Nikita-Louise.
    • Photo: Loan Nguyen

      Loan Nguyen answered on 9 Nov 2015:

      Hi,
      To put it simply, I want to find out if calcium (the stuff in milk) has a role in a disease call atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a health condition where a blood vessel (or many vessels) is blocked by the build up of fat.

      Calcium has many roles in our body. It helps are heart pump and keeps our braining thinking. The calcium level in our body is very tightly policed. Even when we eat lots of calcium in our diet, this has little affect on our body because the body will not absorb any excess calcium. When our body does not produce enough calcium, or when it becomes de-regulated, we can feel unwell.

      Calcium can enter and leave a cell through many different channels. I study the action of one of these channels in healthy and in atherosclerotic conditions. I look at how much of this channel is present in health and disease and what might cause these changes.

      Hope that anwers your question. Keep on asking, it is the best way to learn.

      Loan

Comments

  • Photo: Michael

    Michael commented on :

    I study why heart muscle doesn’t grow back after a heart attack, the way your skin can heal often without scarring after a cut. Ways to boost its ability to repair itself include transplanting muscle grown from “stem cells” (primitive cells that can become any cell type of the body, under the right conditions), or provoking the adult heart to make new muscle cells (as it does very early in life, during formation of the heart). Certain fish and newts that can regenerate a fin, leg, or tail can regenerate their heart, and they may have important lessons for us. I also study new ways to shield the heart from damage during a heart attack, so that fewer muscle cells die.

  • Photo: Praveen

    Praveen commented on :

    My research focus on the identification of changes in DNA that are associated with heart diseases. The discoveries will lead to understanding the biology of diseases and thereby either prevent or find cure for heart ailments.