Associate Professor
Anatomy & Histology
After completing his resident training in Anatomical Pathology (
National
Taiwan
University), Kuo 
pursued
his doctoral studies at the Department of Cellular & Physiological
Sciences, UBC on the topic of hypersensitivity of airway smooth muscle.
Later, with the support of the IMPACT (Integrated and Mentored Pulmonary
and Cardiovascular Training) program and CIHR (Canadian Institutes of
Health Research) fellowship, he joined the iCAPTURE Centre at
St. Paul's hospital in
Vancouver as a post doctoral fellow and
undertook research of ionic signalling of smooth muscle cells in
pulmonary and cardiovascular dysfunctions. He currently holds the
position of Chair of the Research Ethics Board in the Providence Health
Care, which assesses safety issues of clinical trials that involve
subjects with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases.
pursued
his doctoral studies at the Department of Cellular & Physiological
Sciences, UBC on the topic of hypersensitivity of airway smooth muscle.
Later, with the support of the IMPACT (Integrated and Mentored Pulmonary
and Cardiovascular Training) program and CIHR (Canadian Institutes of
Health Research) fellowship, he joined the iCAPTURE Centre at
St. Paul's hospital in
Vancouver as a post doctoral fellow and
undertook research of ionic signalling of smooth muscle cells in
pulmonary and cardiovascular dysfunctions. He currently holds the
position of Chair of the Research Ethics Board in the Providence Health
Care, which assesses safety issues of clinical trials that involve
subjects with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases.Education:
Post-Doctoral Fellow:
Cardiovascular Pharmacology & Therapeutics
iCapture Centre, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC
PhD, University of British Columbia - Anatomy & Cell Biology
MD, National Taiwan University
Research Focus
Dr Kuo's current research interests focus on the
pathophysiological mechanism of cardiovascular diseases in general,
ionic signaling in particular. Ionic cycling is a key feature of smooth
muscle cells to ensure proper function. Hindrance and/or retardation of
ionic cycling may lead to the development of hypersensitivity of smooth
muscle cells and contribute to occurrences of certain disorders, such as
asthma and hypertension. He has proposed an intriguing hypothesis
involving 
ultrastructural
alignment and spatial interaction of Ca2+ handling/reservoir
organelles, such as the ionic channels, plasma membrane, endoplasmic
reticulum, mitochondria and nuclear envelop, which are essential for
maintaining proper ionic cycling. Presently, his laboratory utilizes
real time Ca2+ imaging combined with high power transmission electron
microscopy as well as a pressurized apparatus for microvessels in the
investigation of potential mechanisms responsible for disruption of the
ultrastructural alignment and spatial interaction of Ca2+
handling/reservoir organelles in the development of smooth muscle cell
hypersensitivity. In the future, we plan to seek key molecules
responsible for stabilizing the structural alignment of these organelles
and develop a new way to approach hypersensitivity of smooth muscle
cells, which may contribute to the treatment of asthma and hypertension.
ultrastructural
alignment and spatial interaction of Ca2+ handling/reservoir
organelles, such as the ionic channels, plasma membrane, endoplasmic
reticulum, mitochondria and nuclear envelop, which are essential for
maintaining proper ionic cycling. Presently, his laboratory utilizes
real time Ca2+ imaging combined with high power transmission electron
microscopy as well as a pressurized apparatus for microvessels in the
investigation of potential mechanisms responsible for disruption of the
ultrastructural alignment and spatial interaction of Ca2+
handling/reservoir organelles in the development of smooth muscle cell
hypersensitivity. In the future, we plan to seek key molecules
responsible for stabilizing the structural alignment of these organelles
and develop a new way to approach hypersensitivity of smooth muscle
cells, which may contribute to the treatment of asthma and hypertension.
Contact Information:
University of Northern BC
Office: 9-358 Dr Donald Rix Northern Health Sciences Centre
Phone: (250)960-5130
Email: kkuo@unbc.ca
