معرفی
Frank T. Horrigan, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, affiliated with the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics. He holds membership in the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and participates in graduate programs in Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics, and Chemical, Physical & Structural Biology. His research focuses on ion channel gating mechanisms, particularly the large conductance Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ (BK) channel, exploring how voltage sensors, Ca²⁺ binding, and Mg²⁺ influence channel activity. Techniques used include patch clamping, mutagenesis, and computational modeling.
Education: Ph.D. from Stanford University (1991), postdoctoral training at Stanford (2000) and the University of Miami (1995). His work bridges basic science and therapeutic applications, targeting diseases like hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis. The Horrigan Lab collaborates on projects involving ion channel dysfunction in cardiovascular and neurological disorders.
Key research themes include allosteric regulation of BK channels, drug modulation of ion channels, and the role of metal ions (Cu²⁺, Mg²⁺, heme) in channel function. The lab’s findings contribute to understanding disease mechanisms and drug development strategies. Current lab members include Postdoctoral Associate Liang Sun.
