Profile
The research program of Kerry McDonald, PhD, focuses on factors that determine cardiac myocyte power generating capacity, a contractile property that dictates ventricular performance. Research is focused on how several physiological factors including Ca2+, myosin heavy chain isoforms, thin filament activation levels, sarcomere length and myofibrillar protein phosphorylation regulate power output of cardiac myocytes. His program has also examined how endurance exercise training and disease states, such as diabetic cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure, affect cardiac myocyte structure and function. Researchers’ experimental approach incorporates molecular biology, protein chemistry, cell biophysics, whole heart hemodynamics and computational modeling to systematically determine processes that regulate myocyte power output and ventricular function in health and disease.
Academic Information
Office
1 Hospital Drive
Columbia, MO 65212
United States
Research Interests
- Regulation of muscle contraction
- Cardiac contractility
- Heart failure
- Exercise physiology
Areas of Expertise
- Muscle physiology
- Cardiovascular physiology
- Permeabilized muscle cell mechanics
- Single cardiac myocyte methodologies
- Working heart preparations
- Calcium imaging
- Muscle protein chemistry
- Gel electrophoresis and western blots
Education & Training
Degrees
1987 BA, Benedictine College
1992 PhD, Marquette University
Fellowship
1992 - 1996 University of Wisconsin
Awards & Honors
- Distinguished Faculty Award 2025
- Research supported by NIH and AHA since 1997
- American Physiological Society, Cardiovascular Section, Fellow
- Served on NIH Cardiac Contractility, Hypertrophy, and Failure study section from 2006-2014
- Dorsett L. Spurgeon MD Distinguished Medical Research Award
- American Physiological Society Lamport Award to Young Scientist in Cardiovascular Physiology
In the News
Publications
Find Dr. Kerry McDonald's Bibliography
- Behrmann, A., J. Cayton, M.R. Hayden, M.D. Lambert, Z. Nourian, K. Nyanyo, B. Godbee, L.M. Hanft, M. Krenz, K.S. McDonald, and T.L. Domeier.
Right ventricular preload and afterload challenge induces contractile dysfunction and arrhythmia in isolated hearts of dystrophin-deficient mice.
Physiol. Rep. 12:e16004, 2024. - Perike, S., F.J. Gonzalez-Gonzalez, I. Abu-Taha, F.W. Damen, L.M. Hanft, K.S. Lizama, A. Aboonabi, A.E. Capote, Y. Aguilar-Sanchez, B.Levin, Z. Han, A. Sridhar, J. Grand, J. Martin, J.G. Akar, C.M. Warren, R.J. Solaro, S-G. Ong, D. Darbar, K.S. McDonald, C.J. Goergen, B.M. Wolska, D. Dobrev, X.H.T. Wehrens, and M.D. McCauley.
Myosin light chain dephosphorylation by PPP1R12C promotes atrial hypocontractility in atrial fibrillation.
Circ. Res. 133:758-771, 2023. - George, T.G., L.M. Hanft, M. Krenz, T.L. Domeier, and K.S. McDonald.
Dystrophic cardiomyopathy: role of the myofilaments.
Frontiers Physiology: Striated Muscle Physiology. Volume 14:1207658, 2023. - Hanft, L.M., J.C. Robinett, T.J. Kalogeris, K.S. Campbell, B.J. Biesiadecki, and K.S.
McDonald.
Thin filament regulation of cardiac muscle power output: implications for targets to improve human failing hearts.
J. General Physiol. 155, e202213290, 2023. - Robinett, J.C., L.M. Hanft, B.J. Biesiadecki, and K.S. McDonald.
Molecular regulation of stretch activation.
Am. J. Physiol. (Cell Physiol.). 323: C1728-C1739, 2022. - Geist, J., J. Stavusis, J. Robinett, L. Hanft, J. Vandermeulen, J. Joca, R. Zao, J. Stains, K. Konstantopoulos, K.S. McDonald, C. Ward, and A. Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos.
Sarcomeric deficits underlie MYBPC1-associated myopathy with myogenic tremor.
Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight. 6(19)e147612, 2021. - Hanft, L.M., D.P. Fitzsimons, T.A. Hacker, R.L. Moss, K.S. McDonald.
The role of cMyBP-C in regulating the Frank-Starling Relationship in murine hearts.
J. General Physiol. 153:e202012770, 2021. - McDonald, K.S., L.M. Hanft, J.C. Robinett, M. Guglin, K.S. Campbell.
Regulation of myofilament contractile function in human donor and failing hearts.
Frontiers in Physiology. Volume 11, Article number 468, 2020.