
Roman Syunyaev
Senior Research Fellow in Developing Models of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Faculty of Science
Contact
Research Summary
I am currently working with Gary Mirams group on developing and refining the models of cardiac cells and ionic channels. We use mathematical simulations and model optimization to process patch-clamp… read more
Current Research
I am currently working with Gary Mirams group on developing and refining the models of cardiac cells and ionic channels. We use mathematical simulations and model optimization to process patch-clamp data recorded in HEK-293, CHO and iPSC-CM cells. In particular we are currently focused on:
Past Research
My past research was focused on cardiac electrophysiology simulations and process the experimental data underlying the multi-scale models, model parametrization and uncertainty quantification.
In particular I was working on
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Ventricular/atrial cardiomyocyte model personalization using functional and molecular data. We have developed genetic-algorithm based technique that allowed us to estimate ionic channel conductivities using action potential dependence on pacing frequency as input data. This technique could be used to calibrate the model in order to predict action potential waveform using the mRNA expression measurements.
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Ionic channels models. We were working on patch-clamp data recorded in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, in particular, we have used the parameter optimization approach to account for voltage-clamp experimental artifacts. This unconventional technique turns out to be very important, for instance, in the case of the fast sodium current, since there is often a large systematic error in the apparent voltage-dependence parameters of the INa.
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) simulations. The development of AF is associated with remodeling both on the single-cell level (expression profile changes) and the tissue level (fibrosis). One of the projects addressing the problem was the development of pathology-specific cardiac tissue models that included chronic AF, paroxysmal AF and sinus rhythm patients. We have also devised a novel computationally effective algorithm to locate the reentrant drivers via backtracking the conduction velocity field.
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I have participated in the development of new experimental optical mapping techniques including low-cost panoramic and multiparametric optical mapping.
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Sino-atrial node (SAN) simulations. As a native heart rhythm generator, SAN is particularly interesting due to its complex heterogeneous structure that implies synchronization between the SAN cells and robust SAN-atria interface via the conducting pathways. A number of my past projects were focused on the simulations of normal and pathological propagation in the SAN and surrounding atrial tissue both in animal and human models.