By Dr Rebecca Gilchrist
Dr Rebecca Gilchrist’s research interests include understanding how normal cardiac physiology becomes altered in disease and, more specifically, how this knowledge can be leveraged to inform novel risk stratification and treatment approaches. During her PhD, she researched mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmia development under long QT conditions, and she now works as a Research Associate in Professor Will Fuller’s lab at the University of Glasgow. Her current research aims to determine whether strategic post-translational modulation of cardiac ion channels can provide beneficial inotropic and anti-arrhythmic effects in the setting of heart failure.
Dr Rebecca Gilchrist was awarded an Unlocking Futures Fund grant from the Physiological Society in 2025. We caught up with her to discuss how the grant was spent as well as any advice she had for future applicants.
How did receiving the Unlocking Futures Fund support you in your career?
I am extremely grateful to have received support from the Physiological Society’s Unlocking Futures Fund. This funding covered my course fees for the 40th Cell Physiology Workshop in Liverpool, thereby enabling me to attend this workshop. The Cell Physiology Workshop is a two-week long course which provides high-quality training in electrophysiology and consists of lecture-based and laboratory-based training in experimental techniques, theory and experimental design.
What did you learn from undertaking this project?
During this workshop, I gained a strong understanding and practical experience of a wide range of electrophysiology techniques, including whole-cell patch clamp. I will continue to use this technique throughout my current research project, which aims to develop novel inotropic and anti-arrhythmic drugs that modulate cardiac ion channels. I will apply the training that I received on electrophysiology-related theory and experimental design to my future research, to maximise the information gained from each of my experiments. Being passionate about teaching and mentoring, I also look forward to supporting the development of other physiologists by training students and colleagues at the University of Glasgow in whole-cell patch clamp. In addition to being an invaluable training opportunity for a researcher wishing to pursue a career in cardiac electrophysiology, the workshop also provided an excellent networking opportunity to get to know other early career scientists from all over the world.
Do you have any advice or recommendations for potential future applicants?
To any postdoctoral physiologists looking for funding to support their career development, I would definitely recommend applying for the Unlocking Futures Fund. I would recommend checking the application deadlines far enough in advance to give yourself plenty of time to put together a high-quality application which clearly articulates how this funding will advance your career.