Research

The Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine can be interdisciplinarily subdivided into the following sections:

Bioinstrumentation / Experimental Imaging

The Bioinstrumentation / Experimental Imaging group, headed by Callum Zgierski-Johnston PhD, develops specialized equipment for cardiovascular research. This is required as often our questions cannot be addressed with off-the-shelf solutions. To this end, we have facilities for prototyping of mechanical and electrical components, and expertise in sensors, imaging, signal processing, control systems and user-interfacing.

Optogenetics

The Optogenetics group, headed by Dr. Franziska Schneider-Warme, works on genetically encoded, light-activated tools to study the biophysics of cardiac processes, from single cell-signalling to whole-heart mechanoelectric activity.

Mechanobiology

The Cell Biophysics group, headed by Rémi Peyronnet PhD, studies the signalling processes related to mechanical forces that are omnipresent and constantly changing in the heart. They shape life, acting either as crucial drivers for a wide range of physiological processes, or as potential threats to which cells have to adapt to survive in pathological conditions. How cells sense their environment and adapt their function to changes in mechanical states is the key question driving this group. Molecular mechanisms underlying this ability are poorly understood and we focus on mechano-sensitive channels, key players in Mechano-Electric Feedback (MEF).

4D-Imaging / Cardiac NanoDynamics

The 4D-Imaging group, headed by PD Eva Rog-Zielinska, combines experimental and computational research into cardiac structure (3D) and function (i.e. over time). The spatial domains studied can be split roughly into nano-to-micro and micro-to-macro levels, while the temporal domain requires resolution from milliseconds (say to resolve a cardiac contraction cycle) to months (for disease-related remodelling).

Cardiac Computational Biophysics

The "Cardiac Computational Biophysics" group, is working on the quantitative numerical description of the anatomy of the heart as well as the electrical and mechanical processes in the heart. This modeling refers to various scales of the description of the function of an ion channel protein to the realistic simulation of the ECG. One focus is on a better understanding of the physiological processes. Data of measurements of the other fields of the IEKM or other partners are integrated into the model, on the one hand to better understand the physiology and on the other hand, to complement measurements and their quantification.

Translational Research

The Translational Research, coordinated by Prof. Peter Kohl intertwines basic research and clinical application based on the existing clinical excellency at the UHZ.