Title
One Size Does Not Fit All: Biophysical Modeling of Sex-Specific Cardiac Growth and Remodeling

Abstract
While all hearts share the same fundamental properties and functions, no two hearts are truly the same. These differences are especially evident between female and male hearts. Interestingly, infant female hearts are initially slightly larger, with male hearts exceeding female heart size only after puberty. These relative changes coincide with major hormonal transitions during puberty and menopause, indicating a pivotal role for sex hormones in cardiac growth and remodeling. Yet, the precise mechanisms through which sex hormones such as estradiol and testosterone influence cardiac growth and remodeling remain elusive. Due to the complexity and intricate interplay of processes involved in cardiac growth and remodeling, computational models have proven useful in quantifying and analyzing these dynamics. However, there remains a critical need for models that consider sex hormones as biological variable. This critical gap prevents us from understanding the mechanisms behind sex-specific cardiac growth and remodeling and limits the effectiveness of using computational models to inform personalized therapies.

In this talk, we will discuss how we are developing biophysics models based solely on publicly available data to understand the interplay of sex hormones and cardiac growth and remodeling. Moreover, we introduce synergistic Bayesian and machine learning techniques that can infer data uncertainty and variability in biophysics model predictions at a low computational cost. Finally, we will briefly discuss our ongoing work on how our models can inform strategies for individualized cardiac therapies in all patients.

Biography
Pim Oomen is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California Irvine and a core member of the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation  Cardiovascular Innovation and Research Center. His lab aims to to develop inclusive multiscale computational and experimental tools to advance our knowledge of cardiovascular biomechanics and electrophysiology, employ our tools to improve and design cardiovascular therapies, and to train a new, diverse generation of biomedical engineers. Dr. Oomen holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology in his native Netherlands. He received an American Heart Association Career Development Award, Dutch Heart Association Young Talent Award Fellowship, and was recognized as a Rising Star in Engineering in Health by Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University. Outside of the lab, he enjoys biking, backpacking, making fresh pasta, and playing music. Lab website: https://pimoomen.org