"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早期就开始了研究计划。Brige通过增加工程学毕业生的数量，通过改善女性和少数族裔在工程学领域的代表性，以及通过了解如何提高工程学学生的招生和留住能力，进一步扩大了工程学研究人员的参与。证据表明，Purkinje网络可能参与室性快速性心律失常，众所周知，Purkinje细胞可以表现出倍增的分叉，增强的正常自动性，异常的自动性和触发的活动，可能是心律失常。然而，浦肯野参与室颤的直接证据很难通过实验获得，这将使这一问题得到最终解决。PI将使用数学建模和模拟来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；以及3)确定浦肯野纤维在犬心脏室颤过程中的作用。新开发的Purkinje模型，以及带有Purkinje网络的新的犬心室解剖，将为评估Purkinje系统在诱发心律失常中的作用提供一个新的工具。确定浦肯野纤维对心律失常发生或演变的贡献可能会在未来引导新的治疗途径。此外，所有结果将通过皮？S网站向其他研究人员和公众开放，该网站已经成为心脏和心脏建模的领先信息来源。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，因为它为研究室性心律失常提供了另一种手段，并提出了一种可能的治疗心脏病的新方法。这项研究将通过直接支持一名女性研究员和一名女性研究生，帮助提高工程学的多样性。它还将通过课堂教学和通过网站传播信息，特别强调互动方案和动画，帮助将研究与正规和非正规教育结合起来。网站可视化工具将加强研究和教育的基础设施。通过网站获得成果、参加多学科会议以及整合研究和教育活动将促进信息的广泛传播。此外，对浦肯野纤维在室性心律失常中作用的更好的了解可能会导致心律失常治疗的未来进步。这项布里奇拨款将扩大所有工程师的参与，并增加他们的机会，包括那些来自工程学学科中代表性不足的群体的工程师。这笔布里奇补助金还将鼓励PI作为独立调查员积极和有竞争力地参与研究。

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.