Sudden Death and Stress: Modelling the Heart's Dynamic Control Systems

Vacancy Information
The student will be based in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and will meet regularly with cardiologists.

Studentship Description
Background: Each beat of the heart occurs in response to an electrical signal that is passed between adjacent cardiac cells. A range of control mechanisms adapt the heart’s behaviour to fluctuating demands and maintain the beat-to-beat stability.

Aim and Objectives: This project aims to provide insight into the control mechanisms that exist to control and regulate the electrical and mechanical activity of the heart. The objectives are:
(i) Create methods for analysis of existing physiological data
(ii) Identify a network of inter-relationships from the data
(iii) Determine the implications for human physiology
(iv) Direct on-going physiological experiments to obtain more data as may be required.

Research Programme: The student will benefit from a wealth of existing experimental data which has been acquired over a period of 5 years at St Thomas’ Hospital from patients who were undergoing treatment for cardiac rhythm problems (“arrhythmia”).
The patterns of electrical conduction in the heart muscle will be investigated, and further measurements include: beat-to-beat arterial blood pressure, respiration, and the excitation state of the autonomic nervous system. The frequency composition of those signals is also known to be important in cardiac stability and health, and will be investigated using frequency-domain analysis techniques (including the Fourier transform). The existing data includes controlled experiments: electrical pacing has been used to maintain a constant heart rate, and respiration rate was controlled voluntarily by patients. The student would also have opportunities to participate in the acquisition of new data in collaboration with cardiologists at St Thomas’ Hospital.
The work will be regularly discussed between engineers and clinicians, and will be published at biomedical engineering conferences and in journal articles.
Further details: http://www.benhanson.com/HansonMechEngImpactStudentshipDetails.pdf

Person Specification
Applicants should have a very good degree in engineering or the sciences (computational, physical or medical). Excellent numerical skills are essential: those with a background in the life sciences will be expected to demonstrate skills in mathematics and physical sciences and should have pursued at least one of these subjects to A-level. The supervisor and collaborating team would provide education in physiology and medical technology, and training where appropriate.

Eligibility
Academic: equivalent of an undergraduate degree at minimum 2:1 level, (1st class is very strongly preferred), or a Masters degree.
Residency: British (UK) and European (EU) citizens are eligible. Non-EU citizens are not eligible.

Applicants should in the first instance email their CV and a brief covering letter/statement to Dr. Ben Hanson at: [Email Address Removed].

After interview, the successful candidate(s) will be required to formally apply online via the UCL website:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate-study/application-admission/apply-online/