"BRIGE:Contribution of Purkinje Fiber Dynamics to Ventricular Fibrillation"

EEC-0824399 CherryBRIGE奖项通过增加ENG研究人员的多样性来保持全球竞争力，这些研究人员在职业生涯的早期就开始了研究项目。 BRIGE奖项通过增加工程专业毕业生的数量，提高妇女和少数民族在工程专业的代表性，以及了解如何提高工程专业学生的招聘和保留率，进一步扩大了工程研究人员的参与。证据表明，浦肯野网络可能参与室性快速性心律失常，并且已知浦肯野细胞可以表现出倍周期分叉，增强的正常自律性、异常自律性和可能是促发性的触发活动。然而，浦肯野参与室颤的直接证据很难在实验上获得，从而使问题得到明确的解决。 PI将使用数学建模和模拟研究纤颤期间的浦肯野动力学，这种方法多年来一直是在广泛的空间和时间尺度上研究心脏动力学和心律失常机制的有用工具。 该方法将包括三个具体目标：1）使用离子电流测量创建犬浦肯野细胞的详细数学模型; 2）开发犬心室解剖的详细模型，包括真实的浦肯野网络; 3）确定犬心脏心室颤动期间浦肯野纤维的贡献。 新开发的浦肯野模型，连同新的犬心室解剖与浦肯野网络，将提供一种新的工具，以评估浦肯野系统在诱导心律失常的贡献。 浦肯野纤维对心律失常发展或演变的贡献的鉴定可能会在未来带来新的治疗途径。 此外，所有结果都将通过PI提供给其他研究人员和公众。的网站，该网站已经成为心脏和心脏建模的主要信息来源。这项基础研究有可能对未来的生物医学研究产生重大影响，提供了一种额外的手段来研究室性心律失常，并提出了一种可能的新方法来治疗心脏病。这项研究将通过直接支持一名女研究员和一名女研究生，帮助提高工程学的多样性。它还将有助于通过课堂教学和通过网站传播信息，将研究与正规和非正规教育结合起来，特别强调互动程序和动画。网站可视化工具将加强研究和教育的基础设施。通过网站、参加多学科会议以及将研究和教育活动结合起来提供结果，将促进信息的广泛传播。此外，浦肯野纤维的贡献，在室性心律失常的进一步了解可能会导致心律失常treatment.This BRIGE赠款的未来进展将扩大参与，并增加所有工程师的机会，包括那些来自工程学科代表性不足的群体。 该BRIGE赠款还将鼓励PI作为独立调查员积极参与研究。

EEC-0824399CherryBRIGE awards maintain global competitiveness by increasing the diversity of ENG researchers, who are initiating research programs early in their careers. BRIGE awards further the broaden participation of engineering researchers by increasing the number of engineering graduates, by improving the representation of women and minorities in engineering, and by understanding how to improve recruitment and retention of engineering students.Evidence suggests that the Purkinje network may be involved during ventricular tachyarrhythmias, and it is known that Purkinje cells can exhibit period-doubling bifurcations, enhanced normal automaticity, abnormal automaticity and triggered activity that may be proarrhythmic. However, direct evidence for Purkinje involvement in ventricular fibrillation is difficult to obtain experimentally at resolutions that would allow the matter to be settled definitively. The PI will investigate Purkinje dynamics during fibrillation using mathematical modeling and simulation, an approach that has been a useful tool for many years to study cardiac dynamics and mechanisms of arrhythmias over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. The approach will encompass three specific aims: 1) create a detailed mathematical model of the canine Purkinje cell using ion current measurements; 2) develop a detailed model of canine ventricular anatomy, including a realistic Purkinje network; and 3) determine the contribution of Purkinje fibers during ventricular fibrillation in the canine heart. The newly developed Purkinje model, together with the new canine ventricular anatomy with Purkinje network, will provide a novel tool to assess the contribution of the Purkinje system during induced arrhythmias. Identification of Purkinje fiber contributions to arrhythmia development or evolution may lead to new avenues of treatment in the future. Furthermore, all results will be made available to other researchers and to the general public via the PI?s website, which is already established as a leading source of information about the heart and cardiac modeling. This basic research has the potential to have a significant impact on future biomedical research by providing an additional means to study ventricular arrhythmias and by suggesting a possible new approach for treating cardiac disease. The research will help to improve diversity in engineering by directly supporting a female investigator and a female graduate student. It will also help to integrate research with both formal and informal education through classroom teaching and dissemination of information via a web site, with a special emphasis on interactive programs and animations. Web-site visualization tools will enhance infrastructure for research and education. Results available via web sites, participation in multidisciplinary conferences, and integration of research and education activities will promote broad dissemination of information. In addition, the improved understanding of the contributions of Purkinje fibers during ventricular arrhythmias may lead to future advances in arrhythmia treatment.This BRIGE grant will broaden the participation of and increase opportunities for all engineers including those from groups underrepresented in the engineering disciplines. This BRIGE grant will also encourage the PI to become actively and competitively engaged in research as an independent investigator.