July CVRG Webinar - Rob MacLeod

July 14, 2011 - 1:00pm

Presented by:
Rob MacLeod, Associate Professor of Bioengineering and Internal Medicine, 
University of Utah, Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute
72 South Central Campus Dr.  WEB 3750
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Title: “Atrial Fibrillation: An Old Disease with New Challenges."
View: (Archived Webinar Recording)

Abstract:
Atrial fibrillation, a very common cardiac arrhythmia, has recently emerged as a new epicenter of clinical, engineering, and basic science research. This emergence is fueled by new results from experiments, animal models of the disease, and multimodal measurements in patients, catalyzed by rapid developments in interventional approaches to treatment. Our understanding of the disease is growing but still inadequate to provide satisfactory patient care and so there is enormous opportunity for a range of research approaches. Some attributes of the disease also make it a simultaneously compelling, accessible, and challenging target for inquiry; atrial fibrillation emerges only as a result of long term changes in tissue substrate, is triggered by remote ectopic activity, involves one or more mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias, has a variable time course in individuals, and is both damaging to immediate quality of life and a major risk for secondary disease. The goal of this presentation will be to provide an overview of the disease and its putative mechanisms, to outline the range of inquiry possible and necessary, and then to emphasize the image based approaches that characterize the CARMA approach to understanding and treating atrial fibrillation. The intended audience includes any students or researchers with a basic understanding of cardiac function and electrophysiology with interest in this disease.

Speaker Bio:
Rob MacLeod was trained in physics, electrical engineering, and physiology & biophysics and is an associate professor of Bioengineering and Internal Medicine (Cardiology) at the University of Utah. He is an associate director of the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute and the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI). He is also an associate chairman and director of the undergraduate program in Biomedical Engineering and recently co-founded the Center for Arrhythmia Research and Management (CARMA). His research interests include computational electrocardiography (forward and inverse problems), experimental investigation and clinical detection of cardiac ischemia, repolarization abnormalities, cardiac arrhythmias, both atrial and ventricular, and defibrillation. For his research, he uses a broad range of techniques including scientific computing, imaging, image and signal processing, and visualization and well as experimental approaches in cardiac electrophysiology.