Simulations of Heart Function

The heart is a robust and reliable organ that, approximately once per second, pumps the blood to the whole body. This activity involves the fine coupling of numerous components involving a large variety of physical processes and covering a wide range of scales. For instance, heart function depends on cell metabolism, electrophysiology, and mechanics; ion channels, ion concentrations, and gap junction distribution; material and electrical properties of cardiac tissue and the anatomical organization of this tissue in fibers and sheets; and material properties and organization of the heart's vascular tree and their relation to cardiac perfusion. Understanding the details of these complex systems, as well as the interactions among them, is crucial for understanding heart function in health and disease.