Enriching scientific thinking and innovation through diversity in all its forms
Professor Ming Lei, University of Oxford (UK)
“Physiology advances through both intellectual rigour and personal courage,” says Professor Ming Lei. “It also highlights the importance of diversity in science, diversity of background, culture, training, and perspective. These differences enrich scientific thinking and drive innovation.”
In this Q&A with Ming, we discuss his career, research and the importance of diversity. This September, he will deliver The Mabel Fitzgerald Prize for Diversity in Physiology, the Physiological Society’s annual lecture celebrating excellence in physiological research from scientists from underrepresented backgrounds.
Why were you interested in studying physiology?
The paper that proved my life’s key turning point was Hilary Brown, Dario DiFrancesco, and Susan Noble’s reported discovery of the “funny current” of sinoatrial node (SAN) pacemaker cells. I was then a cardiovascular medicine graduate student in China, studying cardiac pacemaking failure in sick sinus syndrome. The paper, How does adrenaline accelerate the heart?, revealed for the first time a clear mechanistic explanation for the cardiac rhythm. It transformed an apparently purely clinical problem into a fascinating physiological question. It established in my mind that true understanding of cardiac disease lay in fundamental physiology.
This prompted my entry into physiology, particularly the field of cardiac pacemaker research. I had the privilege of becoming a Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) student of Dr Hilary Brown and Professor Denis Noble. Over 30 years later we remain in close scientific contact, along with Professor DiFrancesco. Their influence upon me extended far beyond that original paper. It shaped my thinking about science.
What inspired you to pursue a career in cardiac physiology?
My D.Phil. programme with Hilary Brown on sinoatrial node cells was among the most exciting and formative periods of my career. The experiments were technically demanding and intellectually challenging but deeply rewarding.
I still vividly remember my first poster presentation at the 1995 Physiological Society Annual Conference, publishing my first paper in 1996, plus my further work, in Experimental Physiology. During my D.Phil., Hilary and I published seven papers in journals including Experimental Physiology and Circulation Research. Each publication strengthened my confidence and deepened my passion for discovery.
I then received postdoctoral invitations from several leading scientists in the field, including Professor Mark Boyett, a major figure in cardiac pacemaking research. Receiving a Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship was another decisive milestone. These moments collectively confirmed that I should pursue a long-term academic career in cardiac physiology.
What fascinates you most about your field of research?
How do cardiac cells maintain cellular homeostasis? How do cardiomyocytes communicate with one another, and with neurons? These are the two fundamental questions that drive me as they offer the challenges of working on:
- Multi-scale complexity (molecule → cell → tissue → organ → organism)
- Nonlinear feedback loops
- Mechanical–electrical–metabolic coupling
- Heterogeneity and stochasticity
These arise from the heart being more than just a pump functioning in isolation, it is a self-regulating electromechanical–metabolic network. Understanding the communication between its component elements and its emergent stability remains one of physiology’s greatest challenges. It is also important to consider its communication with neurons as heart–brain crosstalk is essential for physiological stability and function whether in humans or other mammals.
On the one hand, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is best known for offering a unidirectional pathway regulating the heart. On the other, emerging evidence suggests that this communication is bidirectional: the heart also sends signals that influence neural activity and even cognition. This heart-to-brain communication remains largely unexplored.
Recently, we identified a distinct population of neuroendocrine cardiomyocytes, termed Dbh⁺ catecholaminergic cardiomyocytes (Dbh⁺-CCMs) (Published in Nature Communications 2023). Unlike conventional cardiomyocytes, these cells can synthesise and release catecholamines. This discovery opens a new conceptual framework for understanding cardiac biology, that the heart is not merely a pump, but an active participant in neurophysiological regulation.
To me, this is the beauty of physiology. It reveals unexpected connections within the body and continuously reshapes how we understand the integration between systems.
What have been some of the highlights of your career?
I am proud of my contributions to several key areas of cardiac physiology and enjoyed working alongside brilliant collaborators.
I identified critical roles for voltage-gated sodium channels Nav1.1 and Nav1.5 in sinus node pacemaking and conduction, helping to redefine our understanding of cardiac pacemaker mechanisms. I also established a mechanistic link between Nav1.5 mutations and sinus node disease, bridging molecular insights with clinical pathology (Having published a series of papers in The Journal of Physiology, Circulation Research and Cardiovascular Research).
I uncovered the key role of the multifunctional p21 activated kinase type 1, PAK1, as a central signalling hub regulating excitation and homeostasis in cardiomyocytes. This work established PAK1 as a novel therapeutic target and has contributed to the development of a new class of therapeutic agents for hypertrophic heart disease (This was though a series of papers published in Circulation Research, Circulation Journal, and includes a recent paper accepted by Cell).
My discovery of Dbh⁺ catecholaminergic cardiomyocytes likely prompted a paradigm shift in our understanding of cardiomyocyte function (Published in Nature Communications, 2023).
I led the comprehensive modernisation of antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) classification, replacing the long-standing Vaughan Williams system. The 2018 Oxford Classification (Published in Circulation, 2018) has gained international recognition and has been adopted in the European Heart Rhythm Association’s Clinical Consensus (Published in EP Europace – EHJ Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology, 2025), significantly influencing antiarrhythmic drug practice worldwide.
Each of these milestones represents not only scientific progress, but also the dedication of talented students and collaborators who worked alongside me.
What have been some of the challenges?
One of the greatest challenges has been securing sustained funding to support ambitious, long-term research programmes. Transformative science requires continuity, patience, and resilience, yet funding environments are increasingly competitive.
Maintaining momentum while navigating these pressures has required persistence and adaptability.
What advice would you give your younger self?
If I could go back, I would remind myself of three things:
- Be persistent.
- Stay focused.
- Think big and maintain a long-term vision.
Science is not a sprint; it is a marathon. Breakthroughs often take years, sometimes decades. A clear vision combined with steady determination makes the journey worthwhile.
What has your career taught you?
It has taught me that mentorship is invaluable. The support, intellectual guidance, and encouragement from mentors can shape both scientific direction and personal confidence.
I have been fortunate to benefit from outstanding mentors, and I consider it a responsibility to provide the same encouragement and opportunity to younger scientists.
What does receiving the Society’s Mabel Fitzgerald Prize Lecture for Diversity in Physiology mean to you?
It is a tremendous honour and a deeply meaningful recognition of my work.
Professor Mabel Fitzgerald was a pioneering physiologist whose research made important contributions to respiratory physiology and high-altitude adaptation at a time when opportunities for women in science were extremely limited. Her scientific excellence, resilience, and quiet determination helped pave the way for future generations of physiologists. I greatly admire not only her scientific contributions, but also the perseverance and integrity she demonstrated throughout her career.
To be associated with a prize bearing her name is therefore particularly significant. It reminds us that physiology advances through both intellectual rigour and personal courage. It also highlights the importance of diversity in science, diversity of background, culture, training, and perspective. These differences enrich scientific thinking and drive innovation.
As someone who began my scientific journey in China and built my academic career internationally, this recognition feels especially meaningful. It affirms the value of diverse pathways into physiology and reinforces my commitment to supporting and mentoring the next generation of scientists from all backgrounds.
What’s one thing about you that most people don’t know?
I have practised the traditional Chinese qigong exercise “Eight Pieces of Brocade” for more than 20 years. It helps me cultivate balance, concentration, and inner calm. These qualities are essential in science as much as in life.
Ming Lei will deliver his lecture The Mabel Fitzgerald Prize for Diversity in Physiology at ‘Celebrating Physiology in Cambridge’ on 17-18 September 2026 at University of Cambridge, UK.