Leighton Izu, Ph.D. Research/Academic Interests 1. Effect of spatial distribution of molecules on cellular dynamics. We are particularly interested in how subtle spatial redistribution of ryanodine receptors, brought on by changes in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, alters the stability of the Ca2+ control system. An understanding of the interaction of the mechanical and Ca2+ control systems might provide insight into why patients with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are at a high risk of sudden cardiac death. 2. Inverse methods. Drugs or mutations can affect many cellular subsystems. We are using inverse methods to identify the cellular targets of these drugs or mutations. Once identified, targeted experiments can be carried out to test whether the putative targets are in fact affected by the drug or mutation directly or indirectly. Title Associate Professor Specialty Pharmacology Department Pharmacology Address/Phone Genome and Biomedical Sciences Building, Genome & Biomedical Sciences Facility, 451 Health Sciences Drive Suite 3503 Davis, CA 95616 Phone: 530-752-3200 Additional Phone Email Education Phone: 530-752-0324 ltizu@ucdavis.edu Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo NY B.A., University of Hawaii at Manoa, Manoa HI Select Recent Publications See: Complete List of Publications © 2016 UC Regents