Robert
ThefocusofDr.Kass'researchprogramisthestructureandfunctionofionchannelsthatareexpressedprimarilyintheheart.Thelaboratorymostrecentlyhasfocusedonunderstandingthemolecularphysiologyandpharmacologyofcongenitalarrhythmias.Thesearrhythmiasarecausedbyinheritedmutationsingenescodingforionchannelsand/orionchannelrelatedproteinsexpressedintheheart.Thisworkhascontributedtoanunderstandingofgene-specificriskfactorscausedbymutation-inducedchangesinheartionchannelactivity,andtothedevelopmentofamutation-specificapproachtomanagethesedisorders.Themutation-specifictherapeuticstrategy,verifiedingenotypedpatients,hasestablishedtheprinciplethattwovariantsofthesamegeneticdisorderrequiredramaticallydifferenttherapeuticstrategiesfordiseasemanagementbasedonbiophysicalpropertiesofspecificgeneticlesions.Thisapproachhasevolvedfromclosecollaborationswithclinicalcolleaguesinwhichinformationissharedfromclinictobasiclaboratoryandbacktoclinic.Additionalstudiesareaimedatunravelingthestructuralbasisofmutation-induced,an