Mathematical Biology Seminar Donald K. Blumenthal, Ph.D. Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Utah Wednesday March 9, 2005 3:05pm in LCB 121 " The Role of Protein Kinase A in Cardiac Function and Dysfunction: Opportunities for applying computational biology to an important biomedical system" The role of cAMP and its target, the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (also known as Protein Kinase A or PKA), in regulating myocardial function has been the subject of intense study for many decades. Recent technological developments in several areas including cell imaging, heterologous expression of proteins, transgenic and knockout animals has made it feasible to begin developing in silico models of this important signaling pathway that can be used to better understand the role of individaul components in the pathway, and the consequences of perturbing effects such as mutations and drugs. This lecture will review the current state of the art with regard to PKA signaling in cardiac myocytes and the many opportunities for mathematical biologists to aid in understanding important disease processes such as cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmias.