For New Members & Inquries

✦ Welcome to the UTSC Computational Physiology Group ✦

Conceived by Dr. Jason Brown and his undergraduate co-investigator Terry (Taras) Yavorskyy, the UTSC Computational Physiology Group is a one-of-a-kind initiative at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Our mission is to promote computational approaches to physiology through student-led modeling, simulation, and systems thinking.

The story begins with Dr. Brown’s “Short Communication” course project, which challenged students to build and simulate an experimental model using HumMod—a comprehensive, XML-based mathematical model of human physiology. In 2023, Terry joined the BIOC32 Short Communication course and became deeply engaged with the code-level mechanics of HumMod, particularly its open-source structure and extensible markup system [1].

As often happens in emerging domains, it turned out almost no one had read the HumMod manual, and the HumMod Schema—the core framework that defines HumMod's model structure, control logic, and display architecture—was neglected [2].

But this story doesn't begin in 2023. It reflects a decades-long lineage of quantitative modeling, rooted in empirical systems physiology and structured mathematical reasoning. The HumMod system encapsulates over 5,000 variables across cardiovascular, renal, endocrine, neural, and metabolic systems, and was designed to simulate integrative responses to perturbations ranging from hemorrhage to drug infusion [1].

While HumMod is not the only modeling tool available, it offers a unique blend of physiological depth, computational efficiency, and modular design, making it ideal for education and hypothesis generation. Our group uses HumMod as a gateway platform, but we also explore other modeling paradigms—most notably Physiolibrary, a Modelica-based framework for component-based physiological simulation [3].

We hope to satisfy your need for innovation, curiosity in physiology, and scientific advancement in virtual simulation!

Terry Yavorskyy

References

1. Hester, R. L., Brown, A. J., Husband, L., Iliescu, R., Pruett, D., Summers, R. L., & Coleman, T. G. (2011). HumMod: A modeling environment for the simulation of integrative human physiology. Frontiers in Physiology, 2, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2011.00012
   
   

2. Coleman, T. G., Hester, R. L., Summers, R. L. (2010). HumMod XML Schema Documentation, Version 2.0. University of Mississippi Medical Center. (Internal schema reference)
   
   

3. Matejak, M., Kofranek, J., & Tribula, M. (2014). Physiolibrary – Modelica library for physiology. Proceedings of the 10th International Modelica Conference. https://doi.org/10.3384/ECP14096