Niels Otani

Niels Otani is an Associate Professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the College of Science, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He holds a BA from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on cardiac electrophysiology, computational biology, and biomechanical imaging, with a particular emphasis on understanding and controlling cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation. Dr. Otani has pioneered methods for visualizing action potential propagation using ultrasound and developed novel defibrillation strategies that reduce energy requirements. He also investigates the role of ephaptic coupling in cardiac dynamics and the mechanisms underlying spiral wave formation and termination. His work bridges mathematics, physics, and cardiology, with applications in clinical therapies and biomedical engineering.

Dr. Otani's research has been supported by grants such as an NSF award for developing diagnostic tools for cardiac disease. He teaches advanced courses in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and research thesis supervision. Collaborations span interdisciplinary teams, including veterinary cardiology and biomedical imaging groups. His contributions include over 50 publications on topics ranging from action potential dynamics to computational modeling of cardiac tissue, with a focus on translating theoretical findings into clinical solutions.