Specialization
cellular electrophysiology; patch clamp; ion channels; action potentials; myocyte; heart; cell isolations; arrhythmias; pacemaking; heart failure; hiPSC-CMs
Focus of research
Dr. Verkerk, member of the "Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology" group of the ACS research institute, is working on basic mechanisms of cardiac electrical activity, excitation-contraction coupling, pacemaking, arrhythmias, and heart failure, with particular emphasis on cardiac ion channels, ion exchangers and impulse propagation. His deep and integrative understanding of cellular electrophysiology and ion transport systems is essential for the multidisciplinary cardiovascular research of the recently formed ACS research institute. Specifically, Dr. Verkerk’s expertise covers a wide range of the functional aspects of the various cardiac cell types and constitutes the link between ‘clone’ (molecular biology, proteomics, genetics, cardiac embryology) and ‘clinic’. Accordingly, research is conducted in close collaboration with basic scientists on one hand and clinicians on the other hand.
In his research, Dr. Verkerk is using sophisticated and novel techniques for ion channel function studies (e.g. dynamic action potential clamp), mathematical cell models, and various transgenic mouse, zebrafish, and human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM) models.