Investigator Profile: Austin Baird, PhD

My research began modeling the early embryonic heart tube by coupling the tissue properties of the lumen to the electro-physiology of the cardiac muscle cells. I then transitioned to modeling renal physiology that coupled models of the urine concentration to the perfusion and blood flow of the glomerular capillaries. I continued to “scale up” by working for five years in the defense industry leading the BioGears physiology engine development at Applied Research Associates. This work entailed attempting to model each major organ system to the overall regulatory mechanisms found in the body, such as the nervous and endocrine systems. The goal of my research is to simulate whole-body physiology to augment healthcare training and simulation by increasing the fidelity of the patient response. The BioGears engine has become a major GitHub repository and is used across multiple institutions for research and education including Kitware, University of Vermont, and here at the University of Washington. We aim to model the human body, to create a perfect representation of the physiology when exposed to major perturbations, such as an infection, burn, or hemorrhage. This model could then be used not only in healthcare simulation but machine learning, in silico clinical trials design, and a better understanding of the mechanisms by which our body compensates during extreme trauma.

PBPK Model of Nasal Administration of Naloxone to Measure Repeat Dosing Graphic >