An integration of large-scale computer modelling with experimental studies is necessary to understand the mechanisms that underlie re-entrant arrhythmia and fibrillation in the heart. The Wellcome Trust Heart Physiome project brings together Bioengineers from the University of Auckland, NZ and experimental biologists from Oxford. There are three linked goals:

1. To understand how cardiac arrhythmias at the whole heart level can occur as a result of ion channel mutations, ischaemia and drug toxicity.
2. To demonstrate the use of integrative multi-scale modelling (at the levels of proteins, biochemical pathways, cells, tissues and whole organs) as ‘proof of concept’ for further such ‘physiome’ projects.
3. To provide electro-cardiologists with web-accessible software tools and databases for use in generating new hypotheses and interpreting complex experimental data.

Project participants:
Professor David Paterson, University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford
Professor Peter Hunter, Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Professor Denis Noble, University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford
Professor Richard Vaughan-Jones, University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford
Professor Mark Sansom, Dept Molecular Biophysics, University of Oxford

Dr Carey Stevens, Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Dr David Nickerson, Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Dr Karl Tomlinson, Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Dr Chris Bradley, University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford