Professor Peter Hunter FRS

Peter Hunter is a world leader in computer modelling of the human physiome — modelling how the body and its parts work on a variety of scales. His pioneering research on the heart is the basis of a number of international projects that have expanded to include all organs. A key goal of Peter’s research is facilitating personalised healthcare, which can be achieved by applying such models to an individual’s health data for diagnosis and treatment.

He led development of CMISS, a suite of software modules. These enable researchers and clinicians to input data, then mathematically model the biophysical outcomes and visualise them in three dimensions. Successful applications of CMISS modules include the diagnosis of heart abnormalities without the need for invasive exploratory surgery.

Peter coordinates international collaborations as a council member of the International Union of Physiological Sciences. He also belongs to the advisory boards of many scientific institutes. His numerous accolades include appointment to the New Zealand Order of Merit, and the Rutherford Medal, New Zealand’s top science award, in 2009.

Subject groups

  • Molecules of Life

    Cell biology (incl molecular cell biology)

  • Multicellular Organisms

    Physiology incl biophysics of cells (non-clinical), Physiology incl biophysics of cells (non-clinical)

  • Patterns in Populations

    Biological modelling

  • Astronomy and Physics

    Computational physics, Biophysics

  • Engineering and Materials Science

    Fluid dynamics, Engineering, mechanical, Engineering, medical, Materials science (incl materials engineering), Instrumentation

Professor Peter Hunter FRS
Elected 2006
Committees Participated Role
Research Grants Committee: Physical Sciences January 2024 - December 2026 Member
International Exchanges Committee January 2019 - December 2021 Member
Newton Advanced Fellowships Panel (Biological) August 2015 - December 2021 Member