Winifred Idigo has just completed her DPhil in Professor Barbara Casadei's Lab in the University Department of Cardiovascular Medicine in Oxford. Her research investigated the cross-talk between oxidase activity and constitutive nitric oxide signalling in the myocardium. In particular, she studied the roles of both endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide synthases in mediating the myocardial contractile response to β3-adrenergic receptor stimulation.

Winifred and her colleagues have shown that nNOS gene deletion increases myocardial superoxide production from different sources; however, only stimulation of xanthine oxidase activity specifically leads to uncoupling of eNOS activity and abolition of the inotropic response to β3-adrenergic receptor stimulation. She has also investigated the relationship between left ventricular function in vivo (evaluated using 3D echocardiography) and cardiomyocyte contraction in vitro in a murine model of heart failure following myocardial infarction. Winifred initially became interested in research after her third year dissertation project during her medical degree brought her to Professor Casadei's lab. She decided to carry on working on a DPhil before continuing with her medical training which she has now resumed.