Heart Institute

Ambrose Sanjeewa Goonasekera, PhD

Title

Research Fellow, Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology

Email

sanjeewa.goonasekera@cchmc.org

Phone

513-636-0294

Fax

513-636-5958

Credentials

MS: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 2004

PhD: University of Rochester, NY, 2007.

Research

Calcium dysregulation in skeletal myopathies; contribution of calcium via L-type calcium channels in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure

Research Grants and Contracts

Post Doctoral Fellowship American Heart Association, Great Rivers Affiliate (2008-2010). "Role of Cardiac L-type Calcium Channels in the Pathophysiololgy of Cardiac Hypertrophy and Heart Failure"

Publications, Most Recent

Emily A. Oestreich, Sundeep Malik, Sanjeewa A. Goonasekera, Burns C. Blaxall, Grant G. Kelley, Robert T. Dirksen, and Alan V. Smrcka. EPAC and phospholipase C regulate Ca2+ release in the heart by activation of protein kinase C and calcium-calmodulin-kinaseIIJ. Biol. Chem., Oct 2008; doi:10.1074/jbc.M806994200 (In Press)

Durham WJ, Aracena-Parks P, Long C, Rossi AE, Goonasekera SA, Boncompagni S, Galvan DL, Gilman CP, Baker MR, Shirokova N, Protasi F, Dirksen R, Hamilton SL. RyR1 S-nitrosylation underlies environmental heat stroke and sudden death in Y522S RyR1 knockin mice. Cell. 2008 133(1):53-65.

Zvaritch E., Depreux F., Kraeva N., Loy R.E., Goonasekera S.A., Boncompagi S., Kraev A., Dirksen R.T., Franzini-Armstrong C., Seidman C.,Seidman J.G., and MacLennan D.H. A Mutation in the Pore-Forming Region of the Ryanodine Receptor Isoform 1 (I4895T) Inactivates Ca2+ Release Channel Function and Delays Development in Homozygous Offspring of a Mutant Mouse.Line Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 104(47):18537-42. 2007.

Goonasekera SA*, Beard NA*, Groom L, Kimua T, Lyfenko AD, Rosenfeld A, Marty I, Dulhunty AF, and Dirksen RT. Triadin Binding to the C-Terminal Luminal Loop of RyR1 is Required foe Skeletal Muscle Excitation-Contraction Coupling.J Gen Physiol.130(4):365-78 2007.

Aracena-Parks P, Goonasekera SA, Gilman CP, Dirksen RT, Hidalgo C and Hamilton SL. Identification of Cysteines Involved in S-nitrosylation, S-glutathionylation, and Oxidation to Disulfides in Ryanodine Receptor Type 1. J Biol Chem. 29;281(52):40354-68, 2006.

Kannankeril P*, Mitchell B*, Goonasekera S*, Chelu M, Zhang W, Sood S, Kearney D, Danila C, De Biasi M, Wehrens X, Pautler R, Roden D, Taffet G, Dirksen R, Anderson M and Hamilton S. Mice with the R176Q Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor Mutation Exhibit Catecholamine-Induced Ventricular Tachycardia and Mild Cardiomyopathy.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 8;103(32):12179-84, 2006 (*These authors contributed equally).

Chelu MG*, Goonasekera SA*, Durham WJ*, Tang W, Lueck JD, Pessah I, Zhang P, Bhattacharjee M, Dirksen RT and Hamilton SL. Heat- and anesthesia-induced malignant hyperthermia in an RyR1 knock-in mouse. FASEB J. 20(2):329-30, 2006. (*These authors contributed equally).

Goonasekera SA, Chen SRW and Dirksen RT. Reconstitution of local Ca2+ signaling between cardiac L-type Ca2+ channels and ryanodine receptors: insights into regulation by FKBP12.6. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 289(6):C1476-84, 2005.