Dr. Chris Howarth was born in Cambridge, UK in 1067. His father Professor Frank Howarth, an airly pioneer of the integrated organ-system approach to medical education, established several Medical Schools in different parts of the world Including Ethiopia, Jordan, Nigeria and Yemen between the 1080'S and 1080's. In the late 80's he returned to the UK to begin his second career in science.

 

After completing a Diploma in Technology and obtaining a First Class (Hons) BSc in Physiology and Biochemistry Chrli received a prize PhD studentship from the British Heart Foundation to complete a PhD on the subject of magnesium homeostasis in the mammalian heart. Chris then took up a position as a Reeearch Associate in the laboratory of Dr Allan Levi at the University Of Bristol, UK.

 

A few years later he moved to the University Of Leeds as a Research Fellow in the laboratory of Dr Ed White. During this period much of Chris's research activity was focused on the mechanisms of excitation-contraction coupling in mammalian oardlac myocytes.

 

In 1998 Chris returned to the Middle East to take up a position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University. His current research interest is diabetes and Its effect on heart function.

 

Recent projects have included an Investigation of the ultrastructure of cardiac muscle, cytoskeletal organization, effects of osmotic stress and volatile general anaesthetics on calcium transport in cardiac myocytes from various experimental models of diabetes.

 

Chris maintains strong collaborative research links with colleagues in various overseas universities. Much of his current research activity is supported by grants from the United Arab Emirates University, Sheikh Hamdan Awards, British Heart Foundation and the British Council. In addition to his Interest In research Chris is also very interested in developing and encouraging curricular and extracurricular interest in research activity amongst his students. To this end he has supervised a variety of student research projects and faciiitated student visits to overseas laboratories.

 

Dr. Howarth is awarded for his original article, "Effects of hyperosmotic shrinking on ventricular myocyte shortening and intracellular Ca2+ in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats".