Leigh Anne Swayne

Leigh Anne Swayne is Professor at the University of Victoria's Division of Medical Sciences, leading the Swayne Cellular Plasticity Lab. Her research investigates cellular plasticity in neural and cardiac systems across development, disease, and aging contexts. The laboratory examines how cytoskeletal systems and ion channel regulators (particularly pannexins and ankyrin-B) influence cellular morphology and communication in health and pathology.

Research areas include:

• Synaptic plasticity in neurodevelopmental contexts
• Cardiac cellular remodeling in disease states
• Pannexin channel functions in neural communication
• Ankyrin-B roles in cellular organization
• Microscopy development for cellular imaging

Her work has implications for understanding mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative conditions, cardiac arrhythmias, and structural heart disease. The laboratory employs advanced microscopy and protein biochemistry techniques to characterize subcellular changes.