Physiology Core Lab fuels cardiovascular research

Dr. Darrell Belke, PhD, remembers the moment inspiration struck. He was part way through a run, puzzling over how the body temperature of hibernating gophers impacted the movement of calcium in the animals’ heart cells. 

It was a question he’d been chasing for months while completing his master’s degree in Zoology at the University of Alberta. And then, clarity.

“I had a true eureka moment,” he says with a smile. “Everything just clicked.”  

That spark of insight into how the heart of gophers can adapt to extreme conditions increased our understanding of heart disease, a condition in which the heart doesn’t function normally. 

It was the start of a new chapter in the northern Alberta farm kid’s journey.  

Belke’s curiosity inspired him to continue his scientific career. 

He completed his PhD in pharmacology at the University of Alberta and a postdoctoral fellowship in pharmacology and physiology at the University of Calgary. The latter work resulted in the development of the first working mouse heart model used in the study of energy metabolism, a model now used in laboratories around the world.

Belke’s education continued with a second postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology—this time at the University of California at San Diego. Afterwards, he took on the role of project scientist at the institution, where he remained for a decade.  

He returned to UCalgary in 2009 to take over the lab of his former mentor, David Severson, PhD, in the Heritage Research building. The lab focused on the regulation of cardiac metabolism and the effects of diabetes on heart health.  

Over the years, Belke gained a broad range of technical expertise—from building and modifying equipment, to molecular imaging and microsurgery on mice—thanks to the mentorship and collaboration he’s experienced throughout his research career. 

Today, those skills are used at the Libin Institute, where he leads the Cardiovascular Physiology Core Lab, helping fellow scientists advance their own discoveries.

The lab provides vital infrastructure for cardiovascular research, offering services such as small animal surgery, high-resolution echocardiography, pressure-volume loop analysis and the development of custom animal models that mimic heart disease.

“Our job is to help move research forward,” says Belke. “We generate the measurable data scientists need using non-invasive imaging and precise surgical models that simulate heart attacks, high blood pressure, aneurysms and more.”

Whether it’s coronary artery ligation to assess heart attack damage or Doppler echocardiography to analyze mitral valve function, the lab gives researchers the ability to visualize and quantify subtle cardiac changes—even in structures as small as a mouse coronary artery.

The core lab’s impact is far reaching. Belke not only enables other scientists to test hypotheses, validate therapies and publish data, but he also teaches the next generation of scientists the skills they need to pursue careers. 

Belke’s gopher chasing days may be long behind him, but as he speaks about his work in the Cardiovascular Physiology Core Lab, his passion for research and collaboration is obvious.

“I love what I do,” he says. “I get to contribute to a wide variety of research projects across the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. For me, it’s about the thrill of discovery.”

Impact at a glance

1. The Cardiovascular Physiology Core facility has contributed to approximately 30 publications, including high impact journals like Circulation, Circulation Research, PNAS, Immunity and Science Translational Medicine.

2. Belke has provided more than 25 letters to support grant applications, including at such funding agencies as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Institute of Health and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

3. The lab has contributed to the education of dozens of graduate students and lab staff through mentorship and training on skills like open chest surgeries, isolating individual cardiac myocytes and capturing and interpreting pressure-volume loops. 

4. The lab’s work has advanced science beyond cardiovascular health. Belke works with researchers from numerous health research institutes at the University of Calgary, including in the Faculty of Veterinary Research. 

Learn how you can support the Libin Cardiovascular Institute's work here.