Research Interests for Harold Layton

Professor Layton is modeling renal function at the level of the nephron (the functional unit of the kidney) and at the level of nephron populations. In particular, he is studying tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF), the urine concentrating mechanism, and the hemodynamics of the afferent arteriole. Dynamic models for TGF and the afferent arteriole involve small systems of semilinear hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs) with time-delays, and coupled ODES, which are solved numerically for cases of physiological interest, or which are linearized for qualitative analytical investigation. Dynamic models for the concentrating mechanism involve large systems of coupled hyperbolic PDEs that describe tubular convection and epithelial transport. Numerical solutions of these PDEs help to integrate and interpret quantities determined by physiologists in many separate experiments.

Recent Publications

1. Anita T. Layton, Leon C. Moore, Harold E. Layton, Multistable dynamics mediated by tubuloglomerular feedback in a model of coupled nephrons, Bulletin of Mathematical Biology. 71(3):515-555, 2009. (April, 2009)
2. Jeff M. Sands and Harold E. Layton, The physiology of urinary concentration: an update, Seminars in Nephrology, 29 (2): 178-195, 2009. (May, 2009)
3. Thomas L. Pannabecker, William H. Dantzler, Harold E. Layton, and Anita T. Layton, Role of three-dimensional architecture in the urine concentrating mechanism of the rat renal inner medulla, American Journal of Physiology--Renal Physiology, 295: F1271 - F1285, 2008 (November, 2008)
4. Mariano Marcano, Anita T. Layton, and Harold E. Layton, Maximum urine concentrating capability for transport parameters and urine flow within prescribed ranges (Accepted, 2009)
5. Paula Budu-Grajdeanu, Leon C. Moore, Harold E. Layton., Effect of tubular inhomogeneities on filter properties of thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. Mathematical Biosciences 209(2): 564-592., Mathematical Biosciences (October, 2007)