Dr. Yoram Rudy

Distinguished Professor Emeritus · Washington University in St. Louis, USA
Member, US National Academy of Engineering
Fellow, US National Academy of Inventors

rudylab.wustl.edu · cbac.wustl.edu

Talk

Multi-Scale Integration from Molecular Structure to Whole-Cell Function — Examples from Cardiac Electrophysiology

Mutations and many disease-causing processes occur at the molecular scale, but their manifestation (e.g., cardiac arrhythmias) occurs at the cellular, tissue, organ and organism levels. Integration across scales and understanding of processes that determine emergent behaviors at higher scales are essential for mechanism-based "precision medicine". Examples from cardiac electrophysiology will be shown, where computer modeling has been used to relate an ion-channel protein structure/function to the whole-cell action potential. The presentation will focus on I_Ks, an ionic current that underlies rate dependence of the cardiac action potential.

Biography

Professor Yoram Rudy was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel. In 1966, he entered the Department of Physics at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, where he earned a B.Sc. degree in 1970 and M.Sc. in 1973. During his graduate studies, Yoram developed interest in the life sciences and decided to pursue this interest. In 1973 he joined the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), where he conducted research in bioelectric phenomena under the guidance of Dr. Robert Plonsey, a pioneer in this field of science. Yoram received his Ph.D. degree from CWRU in 1978, where he also attended the first two years of medical school.

In 1980, Prof. Rudy joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University as an assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering. He later became The M. Frank and Margaret C. Rudy Professor of Cardiac Bioelectricity, with academic appointments in the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Physiology & Biophysics, and Medicine. In 1994, he established the interdisciplinary Cardiac Bioelectricity Research and Training Center and became its director.

Professor Rudy joined Washington University in 2004 as the Fred Saigh Distinguished Professor of Engineering, with appointments in the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, Cell Biology & Physiology, Radiology, and Pediatrics. He established the interdisciplinary Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center (CBAC) at Washington University, which includes 39 faculty members. He has also served as a visiting professor in various universities worldwide.

Professor Rudy published over 200 scientific articles. He graduated 30 doctoral students, who continue to pursue careers in academic research and medicine, and in the biomedical industry. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the recipient of numerous awards, among which are: the NIH Merit Award, the Biomedical Engineering Society Distinguished Lectureship Award, the Heart Rhythm Society Distinguished Scientist Award, Case Western Reserve University Distinguished Alumni Award and the Hein Wellens Distinguished Professor in Cardiology at Maastricht University. He also served as President of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society from 2006-2008.

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