Sustainable Lifecycle Management for Research Software - Software Distribution and Infrastructure Development Using Simulation Software for Cardiac Electrophysiology (SuLMaSS)

Computational models have become an important research approach that provides mechanistic insight into cardiac physiology and pathology. They are a powerful tool that complements traditional laboratory, animal or clinical studies. Over the years, clinical electrophysiological data and patients-specific anatomical geometry had been incorporated to build and simulate more realistic models. However, the lack of a modelling framework along with documentation, the absence of a modular and extensible architecture and different mathematical approaches hinder validation of the results and impair their reproducibility. Within the DFG-funded project SuLMaSS, we will advance our modeling framework for cardiac electrophysiology towards a sustainable research software in collaboration with the Steinbuch Computing Center, the Institute for Applied Materials at KIT, the KIT library and the Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine at the University Heart Center Freiburg ∙ Bad Krozingen (UHZ).

This work aims to develop an open source modeling framework for the electrophysiology of the heart into a sustainable research software. We will provide high-quality, user-friendly cardiac electrophysiology simulation software that meets proven needs of the scientific community. Secondly, we will provide infrastructure components for testing, storage, referencing, and versioning for all phases of the research software lifecycle. Third, we will provide the optimal solution for a large proportion of those who can potentially benefit from cardiac computer modeling methods. In this way, we will expand the benefits of the software and generate added value for the broad scientific community of cardiac electrophysiology.