Borough of Manhattan Community College

Title: Modeling Membrane Dynamics In Excitable Tissue

Director: Brett A. Sims

Email: bsims@bmcc.cuny.edu

Dates of Program: June 1 - July 9, 2010

Summary: This summer research program at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) will give five undergraduate students the opportunity to study and perform interdisciplinary research in modeling practices for building deterministic models for membrane dynamics in excitable tissue (neural and heart tissue). Students will continue the 2009 research focus on developing new model physics for ion flux. A global focus in the study of excitable tissue is action potential propagation. However, action potential propagation depends significantly on cell membrane dynamics. The five student research participants will focus on modeling membrane dynamics (ionic channel dynamics), wave propagation modeling, and writing code. Action potential models containing linear and nonlinear ion current terms will also be considered.

Student Researchers Supported by MAA:

Program Contacts:

Bill Hawkins
MAA SUMMA
bhawkins@maa.org
202-319-8473

Michael Pearson
MAA Programs & Services
pearson@maa.org
202-319-8470