George E. Billman, Ph.D.

Professor Office - 204 Wiseman Hall Laboratory - 1005 Wiseman Hall Mailing Address: 304 Hamilton Hall 1645 Neil Avenue Columbus OH  43210-1218 billman.1@osu.edu

Education:
Ph.D., Physiology and Biophysics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Research Interest:
Cardiovascular physiology; the cardiovascular response to stress (i.e., exercise), the mechanisms responsible for ventricular fibrillation, signal transduction and excitation-contraction coupling during heart failure; cardiovascular effects of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Techniques Available:
Survival surgery, electrocardiogram interpretation, echocardiography, myocyte preparation, calcium transient determinations (fura-2, a calcium sensitive dye), heart rate variability analysis (non-invasive marker of changes in the autonomic neural control of the heart).

Publications (selected):
• Billman GE, Kukielka M. Effect of exercise training on heart rate variability and susceptibility to sudden cardiac death: protection is not due to enhanced cardiac vagal regulation. J Appl Physiol 100: 896-906, 2006.
• Kukielka M, Seals DR, Billman GE. Cardiac vagal modulation of heart rate during prolonged submaximal exercise in animals with healed myocardial infarctions: effects of training. Am J Physiol (Heart Circ Physiol) 290: H1680-H1685, 2006.
• Billman GE, Kukielka M, Kelley R, M Mustafa-Bayoumi, Altschuld RA. Endurance exercise training attenuates cardiac Beta 2-adrenoceptor responsiveness and prevents ventricular fibrillation in animals susceptible to sudden death. Am J Physiol (Heart Circ Physiol) 290: H2590-H2599, 2006.
• Billman GE. Heart rate response to the onset of exercise: evidence for enhanced cardiac sympathetic activity in animals susceptible to ventricular fibrillation. Am J Physiol (Heart Circ Physiol) 291: H429-H435, 2006.
• Billman GE. A comprehensive review and analysis of 25 years of data from an in vivo canine model of sudden cardiac death: implications for future anti-arrhythmic drug development. (Invited Review) Pharmacol & Therap 111: 808-835, 2006.
• Billman GE, Kukielka M. Effect of endurance exercise training on the heart rate onset and heart rate recovery responses to submaximal exercise in animals susceptible to ventricular fibrillation. J Appl Physiol 102: 231-240, 2007.
• da Cunha D, Hamlin RL, Billman GE, Carnes CA. n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids prevent acute atrial electrophysiologic remodeling. Brit J Pharmacol 150: 281-285, 2007.
• London BS, Albert C, Anderson ME, Giles WR, Van Wagoner DR, Balk E, Billman GE, Chung M, Lands W, McAnulty J, Martens JR, Costello RB, Lathrop DA. Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiac arrhythmias: prior studies and recommendations for future research – a report from the NHLBI and ODS omega-3 fatty acids and the role in cardiac arrhythmogenesis workshop. Circulation 116: e320-e335, 2007.
• Holycross BJ, Kukielka M, Nishijima Y, Altschuld RA, Carnes CA, Billman GE. Exercise training normalizes beta-adrenoceptor expression in dogs susceptible to ventricular fibrillation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 293: H2702-H2709, 2007.
• Billman GE, Kukielka M. The novel transient outward and ultrarapid rectifier current antagonist, AVE0118, protects against ventricular fibrillation induced by myocardial ischemia. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol (In Press).

Research Funding:
• NIH NHLBI “Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Sudden Cardiac Death”, 07/01/07-06/30/11, $1,310,236 (direct cost only).
• Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH “Effects of a Novel Compound on Susceptibility to Ventricular Fibrillation Induced by Myocardial Ischemia in a Conscious Canine Model of Sudden Cardiac Death”, 01/01/05 – 12/31//08, $375,000 (direct cost only).