Heart health at a tipping point
Heart cells perform enormous feats every day. But when they are subjected to stress and high blood pressure for long periods of time, their performance suffers. FWF START Award winner Senka Holzer is researching which processes in the cell lead to heart failure. She compares healthy cells with diseased cells in detail using methods she has developed herself.
A key factor in heart disease research is the function of calcium as an important messenger substance. Too much calcium activates conversion processes that weaken the heart in the long term. Holzer is investigating these fundamental mechanisms. She is motivated by childlike curiosity and a detective’s instinct for the essential questions needed to understand the unique marvel that is the heart.
