Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the
industrialized world [see AHA statistics: US
causes of death, world
mortality rates]. Cardiovascular disease claims nearly a
million lives of Americans annually. According to the World Health
Organization, the gap between the cardiovascular cause of death
and the others will widen in the next century. Sudden cardiac death
occurs due to the development of fatal disturbances of cardiac rhythm
known as arrhythmias, which often develop as a tornado-like rotors
of electrical activity rushing through the heart and spawning into
numerous wavelets causing cardiac arrest. One of these cardiac "tornados"
recorded in our laboratory is shown in the animation. The research
in the laboratory is focused on advancing our understanding of the
fundamental mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis, and on developing lifesaving
antiarrhythmic therapies, including pharmacological agents and implantable
devices.
The goals of our research laboratory:
- To provide the best possible research environment for education
of future biomedical engineers which will join academic and industrial
research laboratories, heart clinics or start their own bio-tech
businesses upon graduation from Washington University.
- To conduct research investigation in the field of cardiac bioelectricity
for the advancement of our understanding of heart disease and
the development of better therapies.
- To serve the research community on panels, organizations, societies and
boards for the advancement of national and international biomedical
research and technology.
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