For centuries, scientists have studied the circulation. Today, our knowledge spans all aspects of the circulation, from whole-systems biology as well as molecular and cellular aspects of the circulation. This present knowledge has been generated from basic science discoveries (including the seminal identification of the role of the endothelium) as well as from healthy and diseased humans such as hypertensive patients. However, recent medical therapies have created the possibility to study the human circulation under conditions that were never possible before. This first talk of the symposium entitled “Bionic Women and Men” will provide a 5-min overview of the most fundamental aspects of the circulation (flow, blood pressure, sympathetic activity, endothelial function, pulsatility) before introducing the “Bionic Women and Men”: Heart failure patients who have had a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implanted into their hearts. Since LVADs produce continuous-flow, these humans live without a pulse. Consequently, all the normal fundamental circulatory variables (flow, blood pressure, sympathetic activity, endothelial function, pulsatility) are drastically altered in these humans. The resultant effects on the circulation, and the response of the circulation to such altered haemodynamics, are only beginning to be uncovered. This talk will highlight the unique haemodynamics of these patients, indicate the current knowledge and propose new hypotheses for future investigation.