John Ussher, PhD (Pharmacology)

Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Contact Overview Announcements Courses Publications

Contact

Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Email: jussher@ualberta.ca

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

About

John Ussher is currently appointed as Associate Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.

Announcements

Courses

PHARM 233 - Introduction to Pharmacology 2

Building on pharmacology fundamentals introduced in Pharm 203, students will continue learning fundamental principles of pharmacology that affect other organ systems, as well as core concepts on the mechanisms of action for drugs including those used in the treatment of various diseases. (Restricted to Pharmacy students.)

Winter Term 2026

PHARM 566 - Cellular Aspects of Drug Delivery and Targets

The goals of this course are to discuss fundamental topics in cell and molecular biology and introduce students to important concepts in cellular structure and function as they relate to the design and development of novel drugs. Drug targets for macromolecules, including vaccines, proteins and genetic material will be emphasized. Prerequisite: Consent of Faculty.

Fall Term 2025

PHARM 573 - Analytical Techniques in Pharmaceutical Sciences

The course emphasizes the key skills required to study and explore recent trends in pharmaceutical analysis and the latest analytical technologies. The core analytical techniques such as chromatography, LC-MS, ELISA, and, electrophoresis will be discussed in detail along with hands-on experience during laboratory sessions. Prerequisite: PHARM 570 or consent of the Faculty. Offered alternate years.

Winter Term 2026

Browse more courses taught by John Ussher

Featured Publications

MicroRNAs as therapeutics for heart disease.

Ussher, J.R.

Heart and Metabolism. 65

The Gipr is Essential for Adrenocortical Steroidogenesis However Corticosterone Deficiency Does Not Mediate the Favourable Metabolic Phenotype of Gipr-/- Mice.

Bates, H.E., Campbell, J.E., Ussher, J.R., Baggio, L.L., Maida, A.M., Seino, Y., Drucker, D.J.

Diabetes. 61 (1):40-48

Targeting fatty acid and carbohydrate oxidation – a novel therapeutic intervention in the ischemic and failing heart.

Jaswal, J.S., Keung, W., Wang, W., Ussher, J.R., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 1813 (7):1333-1350

Cardiac diacylglycerol accumulation in high fat-fed mice is associated with impaired insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation.

Zhang, L., Ussher, J.R., Oka, T., Cadete, V.J., Wagg, C.S., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Cardiovascular Research. 89 (1):148-156

Inhibition of De Novo Ceramide Synthesis Reverses Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance and Enhances Whole Body Oxygen Consumption.

Ussher, J.R., Koves, T.R., Cadete, V.J.J., Zhang, L., Jaswal, J.S., Swyrd, S.J., Lopaschuk, D.G., Proctor, S.D., Keung, W., Muoio, D.M., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Diabetes. 59 (10):2453-2464

Targeting Intermediary Metabolism in the Hypothalamus as a Mechanism to Regulate Appetite.

Lopaschuk, G.D., Ussher, J.R., Jaswal, J.S.

Pharmacological Reviews. 62 (2):237-264

Myocardial Fatty Acid Metabolism in Health and Disease.

Lopaschuk, G.D., Ussher, J.R., Folmes, C.D.L., Jaswal, J.S., Stanley, W.C.

Physiological Reviews. 90 (1):207-258

Type 1 diabetic cardiomyopathy in the Akita (Ins2WT/C96Y) mouse model is characterized by lipotoxicity and diastolic dysfunction with preserved systolic function.

Basu, R., Oudit, G.Y., Wang, X., Zhang, L., Ussher, J.R., Lopaschuk, G.D., Kassiri, Z.

American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 297 (6):H2096-H2108

The role of the atypical protein kinase C zeta in the regulation of 5’AMP activated protein kinase in cardiac and skeletal muscle.

Ussher, J.R., Jaswal, J.S., Wagg, C.S., Armstrong, H.E., Lopaschuk, D.G., Keung, W., Lopaschuk, G.D.

American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism. 297 (2):E349-E357

Insulin-Stimulated Cardiac Glucose Oxidation is Increased in Hearts from High Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice Lacking Malonyl CoA Decarboxylase.

Ussher, J.R., Koves, T.R., Jaswal, J.S., Zhang, L., Ilkayeva, O., Dyck, J.R., Muoio, D.M., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Diabetes. 58 (8):1766-1775

Myocardial fatty acid utilization as a determinant of cardiac efficiency and function.

Jaswal, J.S., Ussher, J.R., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Clinical Lipidology. 4 (3):379-389

Cardiomyocyte glucagon receptor signaling modulates outcomes in mice with experimental myocardial infarction.

Ali, S., Ussher, J.R., Baggio, L.L., Kabir, M.G., Charron, M.J., Ilkayeva, O.R., Newgard, C.B., Drucker, D.J.

Molecular Metabolism. 4 (2):132-143

Targeting malonyl CoA inhibition of mitochondrial fatty acid uptake as an approach to treat cardiac ischemia.

Ussher, J.R., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Basic Research in Cardiology. 104 (2):203-210

The malonyl CoA Axis as a potential target for the treatment of ischemic heart disease.

Ussher, J.R., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Cardiovascular Research.. 79 (2):259-268

Entry exclusion in the IncHI1 plasmid R27 is mediated by EexA and EexB.

Gunton, J.E., Ussher, J.E.R., Rooker, M.M., Wetsch N.M., Alonso, G., Taylor, D.E.

Plasmid. 59 (2):86-101

Mitochondrial Overload and Incomplete Fatty Acid Oxidation Contribute to Skeletal Muscle Insulin Resistance.

Koves, T.R., Ussher, J.R., Slentz, D., Mosedale, M., Ilkayeva, O., Bain, J., Stevens, R., Dyck, J., Newgard, C.B., Lopaschuk, G., Muoio D.M.

Cell Metabolism. 7 (1):45-56

Clinical implications of energetic problems in cardiovascular disease.

Ussher, J.R., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Heart and Metabolism. 32

Sweet as sugar: Excessive glucose metabolism in the failing heart.

Ussher, J.R.

Future Cardiology. 10 (4):465-468

Deciphering ventricular GLP-1 action: time for a change of heart.

Ussher, J.R.

American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 307 (10):H1390-H1392

Trimetazidine therapy prevents obesity-induced cardiomyopathy in mice.

Ussher, J.R., Fillmore, N., Keung, W., Mori, J., Beker, D.L., Wagg, C.S., Jaswal, J.S., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 30 (8):940-944

Inactivation of the cardiomyocyte glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) unmasks cardiomyocyte-independent GLP-1R-mediated cardioprotection.

Ussher, J.R., Baggio, L.L., Campbell, J.E., Mulvihill, E.E., Kim, M.S., Kabir, M.G., Cao, X., Baranek, J., Stoffers, D.A., Seeley, R.J., Drucker, D.J.

Molecular Metabolism. 3 (5):507-517

Cardiovascular actions of incretin-based therapies.

Ussher, J.R., Drucker, D.J.

Circulation Research. 114 (11):1788-1803

Targeting microRNAs to reduce cardiac lipotoxicity.

Lopaschuk, G.D., Ussher, J.R.

Circulation Research. 116 (2):229-231

5’AMP activated protein kinase increases glucose uptake independent of GLUT4 translocation in cardiac myocytes.

Lee, C.T., Ussher, J.R., Mohammad, A., Lam, A., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 92 (4):307-314

Treatment with the 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase inhibitor trimetazidine does not exacerbate whole body insulin resistance in obese mice.

Ussher, J.R., Keung, W., Fillmore N., Koves, T.R., Mori, J., Zhang, L., Lopaschuk, D.G., Ilkayeva, O.R., Wagg, C.S., Jaswal, J.S., Muoio, D.M., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 349 (3):487-496

The role of cardiac lipotoxicity in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Ussher, J.R.

Expert Reviews of Cardiovascular Therapy. 12 (3):345-358

Failing mouse hearts utilize energy inefficiently and benefit from improved coupling of glycolysis and glucose oxidation.

Masoud, W.G.T., Ussher, J.R., Wang, W., Jaswal, J.S., Wagg, C.S., Dyck, J.R.B., Lygate, C.A., Neubauer, S., Clanachan, A.S., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Cardiovascular Research. 101 (1):30-38

Gut microbiota metabolism of L-carnitine and cardiovascular risk.

Ussher, J.R., Lopaschuk, G.D., Arduini, A.

Atherosclerosis. 231 (2):456-461

Inhibition of fatty acid oxidation as an approach to treat diastolic heart failure.

Ussher, J.R., Jaswal, J.S.

Heart and Metabolism. 61

Cardiac insulin resistance and decreased mitochondrial energy production precede the development of systolic heart failure following pressure overload hypertrophy.

Zhang, L., Jaswal, J.S., Ussher, J.R., Sankaralingam, S., Wagg, C.S., Zaugg, M., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Circulation Heart Failure. 6 (5):1039-1048

Cardiac Insulin Resistance: It’s Sweeter Than You Think.

Ussher, J.R., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Endocrinology. 154 (8):2575-2578

Inhibition of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 activity alleviates insulin resistance in diet-induced obese mice.

Keung, W., Ussher, J.R., Jaswal, J.S., Raubenheimer, M., Lam, V.H., Wagg, C.S., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Diabetes. 62 (3):711-720

Differentiating diastolic dysfunction from classic heart failure.

Jaswal, J.S., Ussher, J.R.

Heart and Metabolism. 57

Accumulation of ceramide in slow-twitch muscle contributes to the development of insulin resistance in the obese JCR:LA-cp rat2.

Fillmore, N., Keung, W., Kelly, S.E., Proctor, S., Lopaschuk, G.D., Ussher, J.R.

Experimental Physiology.

Inactivation of malonyl CoA decarboxylase reduces the inflammatory response associated with insulin resistance.

Samokhvalov, V., Ussher, J.R., Fillmore N., Armstrong, I.K.G., Keung, W., Moroz, D., Lopaschuk, D.G., Seubert, J., Lopaschuk, G.D.

American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism. 303 (12):E1459-E1468

The impact of current and novel anti-diabetic therapies on cardiovascular risk.

Ussher, J.R., Sutendra, G., Jaswal, J.S.

Future Cardiology. 8 (6):895-912

Something Old Holds Potential to be Something New in Heart Failure: Allopurinol Revisited.

Jaswal, J.S., Ussher, J.R., Lopaschuk, G.D, Johnstone, D.E.

Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 28 (6):626-628

Effects of performance enhancing drugs on cardiac structure and energy substrate metabolism.

Ussher, J.R., Jaswal, J.S.

Heart and Metabolism. 56

Pyridine Nucleotide Regulation of Cardiac Intermediary Metabolism.

Ussher, J.R., Jaswal, J.S., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Circulation Research. 111 (5):628-641

Inhibition Of Serine Palmitoyl Transferase I Reduces Cardiac Ceramide Levels And Increases Glycolysis Rates Following Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance.

Ussher, J.R., Folmes, C.D.L., Keung, W., Fillmore N., Jaswal, J.S., Cadete, V.J.J., Beker, D.L., Lam, V.H., Zhang, L., Lopaschuk, G.D.

PLoS ONE. 7 (5):e37703

An ACE Up Your Sleeve: 2 Is Better Than 1.

Ussher, J.R., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Circulation Research. 110 (10):1270-1272

Stimulation of glucose oxidation protects against acute myocardial infarction and reperfusion injury.

Ussher, J.R., Wang, W., Gandhi, M., Keung, W., Samokhvalov, V., Oka, T., Wagg, C.S., Jaswal, J.S., Harris, R.A., Clanachan A.S., Dyck, J.R.B., Lopaschuk, G.D.

Cardiovascular Research. 94 (2):359-369

Cardiac hypertrophy in the newborn delays the maturation of fatty acid β-oxidation and compromises post-ischemic functional recovery.

Oka, T., Lam, V.H., Zhang L., Keung, W., Cadete, V.J.J, Samokhvalov, V., Tanner B.A., Beker, D.L., Ussher, J.R., Huqi, A., Jaswal, J.S., Rebeyka, I.M., Lopaschuk, G.D.

American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 302 (9):H1784-H1794

Cardiovascular Biology of the Incretin System.

Ussher, J.R., Drucker, D.J.

Endocrine Reviews. 33 (2):187-215