Dr Samantha J. Pitt

Lecturer

Senior Lecturer

Researcher profile

Phone

+44 (0)1334 463516

Email

sjp24@st-andrews.ac.uk

Research areas

In healthy individuals, the controlled release of calcium causes the heart to beat strongly.  Calcium is released through specialised gates called ryanodine receptors (RyR2). In patients with heart failure and fatal arrhythmias the release of calcium becomes erratic leading to weakened contraction of heart muscle and cell death. Using a combination of low noise electrophysiological recordings in combination with molecular and biochemical methods my group investigates intracellular calcium dynamics and the molecular function of RyR2 and other ion channels that are present on intracellular organelles. The aim of our research is to try to understand what happens to channel function under pathophysiological conditions.

PhD supervision

• Jordan Marsh
• Angela Martinelli
• Amy Dorward

Selected publications

• Monitoring contractility in cardiac tissue with cellular resolution using biointegrated microlasers

  Schubert, M., Woolfson, L., Barnard, I. R. M., Dorward, A., Casement, B., Morton, A., Robertson, G. B., Appleton, P. L., Miles, G. B., Tucker, C. S., Pitt, S. J. & Gather, M. C., 15 Jun 2020, In : Nature Photonics. 12 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Reduced plasma magnesium levels in type-1 diabetes associate with prothrombotic changes in fibrin clotting and fibrinolysis

  Sobczak, A. I. S., Phoenix, F. A., Pitt, S. J., Ajjan, R. A. & Stewart, A. J., Feb 2020, In : Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 120, 2, p. 243-252 10 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• A family of Type VI secretion system effector proteins that form ion-selective pores

  Mariano, G., Trunk, K., Williams, D. J., Monlezun, L., Strah, H., Pitt, S. J. & Coulthurst, S. J., 2 Dec 2019, In : Nature Communications. 10, 15 p., 5484.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Allosteric activation of an ion channel triggered by modification of mechanosensitive nano-pockets

  Kapsalis, C., Wang, B., El Mkami, H., Pitt, S. J., Schnell, J., Smith, T. K., Lippiat, J., Bode, B. E. & Pliotas, C., 10 Oct 2019, In : Nature Communications. 10, 14 p., 4619.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Functional characterization of ATP2C2, a risk factor for language disorders

  Martinelli, A., Diaz, R., Feliciotti, I., Pitt, S. & Paracchini, S., 2019, In : European Neuropsychopharmacology. 29, p. 1194-1195 2 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Abstract

• Microlaser-based contractility sensing in single cardiomyocytes and whole hearts

  Schubert, M., Woolfson, L., Barnard, I. R. M., Morton, A., Casement, B., Robertson, G. B., Miles, G. B., Pitt, S. J., Tucker, C. S. & Gather, M. C., 22 Jul 2019, Novel biophotonics techniques and applications V. Amelink, A. & Nadkarni, S. K. (eds.). SPIE, 3 p. 110750C. (Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE; vol. 11075).

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding ? Conference contribution

• Plasma non-esterified fatty acids contribute to increased coagulability in type-2 diabetes through altered plasma zinc speciation

  Sobczak, A. I. S., Katundu, K. G. H., Phoenix, F. A., Khazaipoul, S., Yu, R., Lampiao, F., Stefanowicz, F., Blindauer, C. A., Pitt, S. J., Smith, T. K., Ajjan, R. A. & Stewart, A. J., 28 Aug 2019, In : biorxiv. 2019, 38 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Total plasma magnesium, zinc, copper and selenium concentrations in type-I and type-II diabetes

  Sobczak, A. I. S., Stefanowicz, F., Pitt, S. J., Ajjan, R. A. & Stewart, A. J., Feb 2019, In : BioMetals. 32, 1, p. 123-138 16 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Glycosaminoglycan neutralization in coagulation control

  Sobczak, A. I. S., Pitt, S. J. & Stewart, A. J., Jun 2018, In : Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 38, 6, p. 1258-1270 14 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Review article

• Influence of zinc on glycosaminoglycan neutralisation during coagulation

  Sobczak, A. I. S., Pitt, S. J. & Stewart, A. J., Sep 2018, In : Metallomics. 10, 9, p. 1180-1190 11 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Review article

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