Amelia Power, from the Department of Physiology, was awarded an HRC Emerging Researcher first grant to investigate the levels of coenzyme Q10 in the heart of diabetics. Coenzyme Q10 is essential for generating energy within the mitochondria and may be deficient in the hearts of people with diabetes, particularly in those taking statins.
This project will quantify the levels of heart coenzyme Q10 from a cohort of patients who have undergone cardiac surgery. Amelia will also establish a system to keep human heart tissue alive and beating, enabling testing of whether prolonged supplementation of CoQ10 can improve mitochondrial energy supply in the diabetic heart.
Congratulations Amelia!