Louch group:
Cardiomyocyte function in health and disease

Our research is aimed at understanding abnormal cellular calcium handling, with focus on the structures and proteins that control calcium cycling.

Cardiac function is tightly controlled by the contraction and relaxation of these cells; processes which are in turn reliant on carefully controlled calcium homeostasis. Indeed, cardiac dysfunction during diseases such as heart failure and atrial fibrillation can often be traced to abnormal cellular calcium handling.

Our research is aimed at understanding these abnormalities, with focus on the structures and proteins that control calcium cycling. How are these structures and proteins put together during development, and what causes them to disassemble during disease? What is the consequence of such alterations? To examine these questions, we combine molecular biology and electrophysiology techniques with advanced 3D imaging (super-resolution, confocal, and electron microscopy).

Ultimately, we strive to mechanistically link subcellular structure and calcium handling to whole-heart function, and to reverse dysfunction during disease for the benefit of patients.

Group leader William (Bill) Louch is a Professor of Medicine and Head of the Core Facility for Advanced Light Microscopy. He has recently held a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council, and currently holds a Researcher Grant from the Norwegian Research Council. His group’s research is focused on understanding the structure and function cardiac muscle cells.

Group Leader

William (Bill) Louch

Group Leader & Professor

Group members

Adelle Basson

Doctoral Research Fellow

Anna Bergan Dahl

Doctoral Research Fellow

Christopher Le

Doctoral Research Fellow

Harmonie Perdreau-Dahl

Postdoctoral fellow

Jia Li

Postdoctoral fellow

Magnhild Sekse Erdal

Doctoral Research Fellow

Martin Laasmaa

Postdoctoral fellow

Michael Frisk

Postdoctoral fellow

Nishani Mabotuwana

Postdoctoral fellow

Ornella Manfra

Postdoctoral fellow

Per Kristian Lunde

Senior Researcher

Pia Skovholt Halvorsen

Doctoral Research Fellow

Simona Kavaliauskiene

Postdoctoral fellow

Victoria Becker

Doctoral Research Fellow & Safety representative (VO)

Xin Shen

Postdoctoral fellow

Yufeng Hou

Postdoctoral fellow

Latest publications

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Laasmaa M, Branovets J, Stolova J, Shen X, Rätsepso T, Balodis MJ, Grahv C, Hendrikson E, Louch WE, Birkedal R, Vendelin M (2023)
Cardiomyocytes from female compared to male mice have larger ryanodine receptor clusters and higher calcium spark frequency
J Physiol, 601 (18), 4033-4052
PubMed 37561554 DOI 10.1113/JP284515
Li J, Sundnes J, Hou Y, Laasmaa M, Ruud M, Unger A, Kolstad TR, Frisk M, Norseng PA, Yang L, Setterberg IE, Alves ES, Kalakoutis M, Sejersted OM, Lanner JT, Linke WA, Lunde IG, de Tombe PP, Louch WE (2023)
Stretch Harmonizes Sarcomere Strain Across the Cardiomyocyte
Circ Res, 133 (3), 255-270
PubMed 37401464 DOI 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.322588
Perdreau-Dahl H, Lipsett DB, Frisk M, Kermani F, Carlson CR, Brech A, Shen X, Bergan-Dahl A, Hou Y, Tuomainen T, Tavi P, Jones PP, Lunde M, Wasserstrom JA, Laporte J, Ullrich ND, Christensen G, Morth JP, Louch WE (2023)
BIN1, Myotubularin, and Dynamin-2 Coordinate T-Tubule Growth in Cardiomyocytes
Circ Res, 132 (11), e188-e205
PubMed 37139790 DOI 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.122.321732
Manfra O, Louey S, Jonker SS, Perdreau-Dahl H, Frisk M, Giraud GD, Thornburg KL, Louch WE (2023)
Augmenting workload drives T-tubule assembly in developing cardiomyocytes
J Physiol
PubMed 37128962 DOI 10.1113/JP284538
Skogestad J, Albert I, Hougen K, Lothe GB, Lunde M, Eken OS, Veras I, Huynh NTT, Børstad M, Marshall S, Shen X, Louch WE, Robinson EL, Cleveland JC, Ambardekar AV, Schwisow JA, Jonas E, Calejo AI, Morth JP, Taskén K, Melleby AO, Lunde PK, Sjaastad I, Carlson CR, Aronsen JM (2023)
Disruption of Phosphodiesterase 3A Binding to SERCA2 Increases SERCA2 Activity and Reduces Mortality in Mice With Chronic Heart Failure
Circulation, 147 (16), 1221-1236
PubMed 36876489 DOI 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.054168
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