Edward Balog

Edward Balog serves as an Associate Professor in the School of Biological Sciences within the College of Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focuses on ryanodine receptors (RyRs), the largest known intracellular ion channels critical for calcium release in skeletal and cardiac muscle.

His primary research areas include:

• Regulation of RyR channels by endogenous effectors (ions, metabolites, proteins)
• Mechanisms linking RyR dysfunction to diseases like malignant hyperthermia and ventricular tachycardia
• Age-related alterations in RyR function
• Structural determinants of calmodulin-RyR interactions

Dr. Balog employs multi-level experimental approaches:

• Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicle [³H]ryanodine binding for population channel analysis
• Artificial lipid bilayer recordings for single-channel kinetics
• Calcium release assays in permeabilized muscle fibers

His laboratory maintains active research projects on:

• Molecular features for ligand action via RyR adenine nucleotide binding sites
• RyR function in aging skeletal muscle
• Structural requirements for calmodulin regulation of RyRs

Educational background:

• Ph.D. in Physiology from Marquette University (1988)
• M.S. in Exercise Physiology from University of South Carolina (1988)
• B.A. in Exercise Science from Furman University (1983)

The Ryanodine Receptor Laboratory operates under Dr. Balog's direction, with research goals centered on understanding intracellular calcium regulation and identifying pharmacological targets for calcium-related disorders.