Bicarbonate Transport proteins move bicarbonate (HCO3-) across the plasma membrane of our cells.  This process is essential to control cell levels of the waste product carbon dioxide (CO2) and to regulate the pH (acid level) both inside and outside our cells.  Bicarbonate transport is a simple yet central part of our body's normal functioning.  Disruption of bicarbonate transport underlies many diseases.  (More…)  Our laboratory studies the role of bicarbonate transport in causing disease.  Major projects ongoing in our laboratory include:

1.  Determining the structure and transport mechanism of the chloride/bicarbonate exchanger, AE1, which is central to red  blood cell and kidney function.

2.  Understanding how bicarbonate transport contributes to the serious heart disease, cardiac ischemia and cardiac hypertrophy.  

3.  How do defects in the transport protein called BTR1 (SLC4A11) cause the serious eye diseases Fuch's endothelial dystrophy and congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy?

May 1, 2012

Welcome to our new summer students, Jake Mandziuk and Phil Quon! Jake and Phil both were awarded summer studentships from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. Congratulations!

April 30, 2012

The International Research Training Group in membrane Biology

Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) has awarded $1.6 million in funding to a group of 10 investigators, including Dr. Casey. the funding will support stipends for summer students, Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows 2012-2018. These select trainees will receive a series of special experiences, including collaborative research for three-six months in the laboratory of one of our German partners. Graduate student and postdoctoral applications to join the program in the Casey laboratory will be available in the next two months (look for the announcement). The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry has also released a news report about the IRTG in Membrane Biology.

Jan. 5, 2012

We have begun to act as curators of the database of known variations of the Slc4a11 gene at  Leiden Open Variation database.

Dec. 1, 2011

Congratulations to Brittany Brown M.Sc.! Brittany Brown of the Casey lab successfully defended her M.Sc.

Nov. 15, 2011

We're on the move!

Over the next two weeks the Casey Lab will be moving to brand new space on the 4th floor of the Katz Building (Room 4055). The new lab can be reached by crossing the bridge from 3rd floor MSB.

Oct. 31, 2011

New Paper in Press:

May 11, 2011

New Paper in Press: De Giusti, V., Orlowski, A., Villa-Abrille, M., Chiappe de Cingolani, G., Casey, J.R., Alvarez, B. and Aiello, E. (2011) Antibodies against the cardiac sodium bicarbonate cotransporter (NBCe1) as a pharmacolgical tool British Journal of Pharmacology, In Press.

Feb. 29-March 4, 2012 Holger Becker, Technical University Kaiserslautern, Germany

Oct. 5-7, 2011 Nevin Lambert, Georgia Health Sciences University

Nov. 29-30 , 2010  Gergely Lukacs, McGill University

Sept. 15-16, 2010  Itzhak Fishov, Ben Gurion University

Dec. 8, 2009 Jonathan Lytton, University of Calgary

Sept. 16-17, 2008 Snezana Petrovic, University of Cincinnati

May 2008 Bernardo Alvarez, National University  of Argentina, La Plata

January, 2008 Allan Davidson Univeristy of Toronto

Nov. 5-6, 2007- Irina Grichtchenko, University of Colorado

Oct. 16-17, 2007- Wayne Chen, University of Calgary

Sept. 2-3 2007- Jacques Pouyessegur, CNRS Nice France

June 20-21 2007- Kang Zhang Eccles Institute, University of Utah.

March 29-30, 2007- Peter Tieleman, University of Calgary