A controller for producing a pulsatile blood flow having a relatively low pressure portion and a relatively high pressure portion and having a rate of pressure change that mimics a rate of pressure change of a natural physiologic pulse, the controller comprising: a waveform generator to generate a waveform for operating a blood pump; and a drive waveform transmitter to supply the generated waveform to the blood pump, wherein the generated waveform is configured to: operate a continuous flow blood pump to produce a first blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump associated with the relatively low pressure portion of the pulsatile blood flow; operate the continuous flow blood pump to produce a second blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump associated with the relatively high pressure portion of the pulsatile blood flow; and control the continuous flow blood pump to increase a blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump from the first flow rate to the second flow rate to produce the rate of pressure change that mimics the rate of pressure change of the natural physiologic pulse; wherein to control the continuous flow blood pump to increase the blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump from the first flow rate to the second flow rate to produce the rate of pressure change that mimics the rate of pressure change of the natural physiologic pulse, the generated waveform is configured to increase the blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump such that the blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump overshoots the second flow rate. a waveform generator to generate a waveform for operating a blood pump; and a drive waveform transmitter to supply the generated waveform to the blood pump, wherein the generated waveform is configured to: operate a continuous flow blood pump to produce a first blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump associated with the relatively low pressure portion of the pulsatile blood flow; operate the continuous flow blood pump to produce a second blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump associated with the relatively high pressure portion of the pulsatile blood flow; and control the continuous flow blood pump to increase a blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump from the first flow rate to the second flow rate to produce the rate of pressure change that mimics the rate of pressure change of the natural physiologic pulse; wherein to control the continuous flow blood pump to increase the blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump from the first flow rate to the second flow rate to produce the rate of pressure change that mimics the rate of pressure change of the natural physiologic pulse, the generated waveform is configured to increase the blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump such that the blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump overshoots the second flow rate. operate a continuous flow blood pump to produce a first blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump associated with the relatively low pressure portion of the pulsatile blood flow; operate the continuous flow blood pump to produce a second blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump associated with the relatively high pressure portion of the pulsatile blood flow; and control the continuous flow blood pump to increase a blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump from the first flow rate to the second flow rate to produce the rate of pressure change that mimics the rate of pressure change of the natural physiologic pulse; wherein to control the continuous flow blood pump to increase the blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump from the first flow rate to the second flow rate to produce the rate of pressure change that mimics the rate of pressure change of the natural physiologic pulse, the generated waveform is configured to increase the blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump such that the blood flow rate through the continuous flow blood pump overshoots the second flow rate.