In a research paper available today, Dr. Natalia Trayanova, Murray B. Sachs Professor of Biomedical Engineering and ICM core faculty member, BME grad student Kelly Chang and researcher Jason Bayer reveal insights into the mechanisms of proarrhythmic alternans — electrical signals in the heart that alternate from beat to beat— and the role they play in atrial fibrillation. The study, entitled “Disrupted Calcium Release as a Mechanism for Atrial Alternans Associated with Human Atrial Fibrillation,” was published by PLOS Computational Biology. In this study the researchers use computational models to conduct a detailed examination of the causes and contributors to alternans associated with human atrial fibrillation.