CHIMERA seminar: Interdisciplinary research in network physiology: Lessons from hypoxia

Abstract

A network approach in physiology represents a shift from a reductionist approach and reveals the functional interactions between different components of physiological systems. This approach evaluates the degree of information transfer between organ systems rather than evaluating each physiological process separately. Network Physiology has potential to provide solutions to unsolved questions in medicine such as the mechanism of multiple organ failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome. While the aims of Network Physiology are well defined, development of tools to quantify functional interaction of organs requires an interdisciplinary collaboration of scientists and mathematicians. Methods that have previously been developed for assessment of physical systems and telecommunication (e.g. entropy and information theory) are being used in analysis of physiological interactions. In this talk we will discuss the application of a network approach in evaluating physiological response to hypoxia in health and disease (e.g. COPD, sepsis and mountain sickness). Network analysis of organ systems require collaboration across disciplines and may provide insight in developing novel assessment tools and pave the way for addressing better ways to prevent and treat complex multifactorial disorders.