Tyser Group

Richard Tyser

Dr Richard Tyser

Emergence of form and function during early heart development

Email: rt593@cam.ac.uk

Research

The heart is the first organ to form and function during embryogenesis, essential in providing the developing embryo with sufficient oxygen and nutrients. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect affecting almost 1 in 100 babies born in the UK.

Research in the Tyser Group explores how the mammalian heart begins to form and function during embryonic development. They use a combination of imaging and molecular based approaches to characterise cardiac progenitor cell populations, in both the human and mouse. Using this insight, they examine the mechanisms which regulate how cardiac progenitors differentiate to give rise to the functional beating heart. They are particularly focused on understanding how the onset of contraction influences heart morphology and cardiomyocyte differentiation.

As well as addressing questions of fundamental biological significance, the group’s research aims to augment therapeutic approaches to treat disease: by establishing the underlying causes of disease as well as providing a blueprint for regenerative strategies on how best to treat them.

Key Publications