Jean-Marc RENAUD

Jean-Marc RENAUD is a Full Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on skeletal muscle physiology, ion channelopathies, and the mechanisms of muscle fatigue.

• Education: Ph.D. in Physiology (1982) from the University of Guelph, M.Sc. (1978) and B.Sc. (1972) in Biology from the University of Ottawa.

Dr. RENAUD’s work investigates how muscle fatigue acts as a protective mechanism by regulating calcium release in skeletal muscle. His lab has extensively studied the ATP-sensitive K⁺ (K_ATP) channel, which links muscle energy status to membrane excitability, preventing fiber damage during physical activity.

The lab also explores hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HyperKPP), a rare muscle channelopathy caused by mutations in the SCN4A gene encoding the Na_V1.4 channel. Using a mouse model, his team analyzes how ion channel dysfunction leads to myotonic discharges and paralysis, aiming to identify novel therapeutic strategies.

Teaching: He coordinates two graduate courses: CMM5311 Physiology and Pathophysiology of Energy Metabolism and Muscle Functions and CMM8350 Ion Channels: Cellular and Molecular Aspects of Membrane Functions.

His research integrates cellular, molecular, and physiological approaches to study ion channels and their role in muscle function and disease, with implications for energy metabolism and membrane excitability regulation.