Bronwyn Uber

Faculty Mentor: James Antaki

Update: 

Research:My research focuses on constructing a model for patients for whom it has already been determined that they need a VAD, and the specific decision is whether an LVAD or BiVAD is appropriate. A hierarchical decision model was constructed using an influence diagram of clinical risk factors derived through interviews with expert cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. The model was implemented with a personal computer, and validated with retrospective data. A nonlinear numerical optimizer was used to derive model parameters that most accurately correlated with eventual outcomes. The model using the optimized parameters was able to predict 74% of the patients who required an RVAD post-implant but also predicted RV failure would occur in 21% of patients who were treated successfully with just an LVAD.

Publications:

• Uber BE, Webber SA, Morell VO, Antaki JF. "Hemodynamic guidelines for design and control of a turbodynamic pediatric ventricular assist device". ASAIO J52(4)(471-8): , 2006
• Uber BE, Pfotenhauer JP, Silverstein C, Markham LW, Schafer K, Exil VJ, Hong C. "Serial observations and mutational analysis of an adoptee with family history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy". Cardiology Research and Practice2010(): , 2010