Research Areas
Computational Modeling
As vast amounts of genetic and
biochemical data become rapidly available, Hopkins biomedical engineering
researchers draw on these data each
day as they combine the knowledge
of the human genome with the massive
power of modern computersto construct
simulations of human organs.These
simulations, or models, will be so
realistic that they can be usedto design
and test novel therapies, including
medical devices, pharmaceuticals and
clinical procedures.
The objectives of computational
modeling are broad, spanning all
levels of analysis from regulation of
gene expression to the function of
organ systems. Researchers in the
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
along with the biomedical engineers
and mathematicians in the Institute for
Computational Medicine, have led the
way in creating new models, particularly
of the heart, with a level of biophysical
detail so exacting that the models can
help predict the effects of abnormalities
and drug interaction at the molecular,
cellular and organ levels. These modeling efforts can be expanded to other
organs and organ systems and to new
levels of integration.
Research in computational
modeling includes:
- Building an integrated computational model of the cell based on studies of cell mechanics, ion channels and cell interactions, which ultimately will help accelerate gene and drug delivery, development and testing of new drugs and therapies, and cell and tissue engineering.
- Using a computational model of the cardiovascular system to understand the fundamental biochemical, biophysi- cal, electrical and mechanical functions of the normal heart, the molecular and genetic origins of heart disease, the electrical and mechanical properties of blood flow in large and
small blood vessels, and the development of potential approaches for new cardiovascular drugs.
- Studies of neural information processing, including computational modeling of the encoding and processing of complex sounds by the central nervous system and of processes involved in learning and motor control in the brain.
- Developing novel models of molecular interactions within and between cells; this can lead to controlling cell behavior, such as cell interactions in cancerous tumors that ultimately may affect resistance to chemotherapy.
Faculty working in this areaJoel Bader Ph.D. Michael Beer Ph.D. Andre Levchenko Ph.D. Michael Miller Ph.D. Aleksander Popel Ph.D. Tilak Ratnanather D.Phil. Alexander Spector Ph.D. Winston Timp Ph.D. Fijoy Vadakkumpadan Ph.D. Ramana Vinjamuri Ph.D. BME labs working in this areaBioinformatics and Computational Biology Lab Center for Imaging Science Mathematical Analysis of NeuroImaging of the Cerebral Brain Neuroengineering and Biomedical Instrumentation Signal Transduction and Cell-Cell Communication Lab Systems Biology Laboratory The Timp Lab
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