Sudden cardiac death, primarily caused by ventricular arrhythmias, is a major public health problem - it is one of the leading causes of mortality in the United States, resulting in more than 350,000 annual deaths. Our efforts in the Cardiac Electrodynamics Laboratory are focused on improving our understanding of and therapies for cardiac arrhythmias. Because of the complexity of electrophysiological dynamics (both temporal and spatiotemporal), we use an interdisciplinary approach that interweaves concepts that bridge the gap between physics and biology to investigate cardiac electrophysiology from the perspective of dynamical systems. Specifically, we utilize a hybrid approach that combines computational, experimental, and clinical approaches to study (please click links to see particular projects): Dynamics of arrhythmias - from single-cells to whole hearts Biophysical mechanisms of electrophysiological instabilities and arrhythmia onset Arrhythmia prevention through termination of arrhythmia trigger events Principal Investigator: David Christini, Ph.D. Contact info: Weill Cornell Medical College 1300 York Ave., Box 161 New York, NY 10065 phone: 212-746-6271 fax: 212-746-8451