title: Virtual physiological human: training challenges.
abstract: The virtual physiological human (VPH) initiative encompasses a wide range of activities, including structural and functional imaging, data mining, knowledge discovery tool and database development, biomedical modelling, simulation and visualization. The VPH community is developing from a multitude of relatively focused, but disparate, research endeavours into an integrated effort to bring together, develop and translate emerging technologies for application, from academia to industry and medicine. This process initially builds on the evolution of multi-disciplinary interactions and abilities, but addressing the challenges associated with the implementation of the VPH will require, in the very near future, a translation of quantitative changes into a new quality of highly trained multi-disciplinary personnel. Current strategies for undergraduate and on-the-job training may soon prove insufficient for this. The European Commission seventh framework VPH network of excellence is exploring this emerging need, and is developing a framework of novel training initiatives to address the predicted shortfall in suitably skilled VPH-aware professionals. This paper reports first steps in the implementation of a coherent VPH training portfolio.
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Group, Cardiovascular Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. p.lawford@sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: Patricia V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Lawford
authors.forename: Andrew V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Narracott
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bisbal
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bijnens
authors.forename: Bindi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brook
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zachariou
authors.forename: Jordi Villà I
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Freixa
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kohl
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Diaz-Zuccarini
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008954:Models, Biological; D010827:Physiology / Q000193:education*; D014584:User-Computer Interface