Network Physiology: from complex dynamics of individual systems to networks of organ interactions and the Human Physiolome

The human organism is an integrated network where complex  physiological systems, each with its own regulatory mechanisms,  continuously interact to optimize and coordinate their function.
Organ-to-organ interactions occur at multiple levels and  spatiotemporal time scales to produce distinct physiologic
states: wake and sleep; light and deep sleep; consciousness and  unconsciousness. Disrupting organ communications can lead to  dysfunction of individual systems or to collapse of the entire   organism. Yet, we know almost nothing about the nature of the  interactions between diverse organ systems and their collective role  in maintaining health.
Through the prism of concepts and approaches originating in nonlinear  dynamics, biomedical engineering and statistical physics, we will  present basic characteristics of  individual organ systems, distinct  forms of pairwise
coupling between systems, and a new framework to identify and quantify  networks of interactions among diverse organ systems.
We will demonstrate how physiologic network topology and systems  connectivity relate to physiologic state and function, and we will  discuss implications for further theoretical developments and  practical applications within the context of the emerging field of  Network Physiology. The presented investigations are initial steps in  building a first atlas of dynamic interactions among organ systems.

Persona di contatto:Sebastiano Stramaglia   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Relatore:Prof. Plamen Ch. Ivanov Director, Keck Laboratory for Network Physiology, Physics Department, Boston University and Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School