Peter Hunter

by | Feb 21, 2024

Peter Hunter
University of Auckland, New Zealand
2003

Prof Hunter completed an engineering degree in 1971 in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (now Engineering Science) at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, a Master of Engineering degree in 1972 (Auckland) on solving the equations of arterial blood flow and a DPhil (PhD) in Physiology at the University of Oxford in 1975 on finite element modeling of ventricular mechanics. His major research interests since then have been modelling many aspects of the human body using specially developed computational algorithms and an anatomically and biophysically based approach which incorporates detailed anatomical and microstructural measurements and material properties into the continuum models. The interrelated electrical, mechanical and biochemical functions of the heart, for example, have been modelled in the first ‘physiome’ model of an organ. As the recent co-Chair of the Physiome Committee of the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) he has been helping to lead the international Physiome Project which aims to develop model and data encoding standards (CellML, FieldML, BioSignalML) and to use computational methods for understanding the integrated physiological function of the body in terms of the structure and function of tissues, cells and proteins. He is currently a Professor of Engineering Science and Director of the Bioengineering Institute at the University of Auckland, co-Director of Computational Physiology at Oxford University and holds honorary or visiting Professorships at a number of Universities around the world. He is on the scientific advisory boards of a number of Research Institutes in Europe, the US and the Asia-Pacific region. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society (London and NZ), the World Council for Biomechanics and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. He is currently President of the Physiological Society of New Zealand, Secretary-General of the World Council for Biomechanics and Acting Vice-President of IUPS. Recent awards are the Rutherford medal, the KEA (Kiwi Expats Abroad) ‘World Class NZ’ Award in Research, Science, Technology & Academia category, and the 2012 EMBS Academic Career Achievement Award.