Computational modelling of electromechanical activity of cardiomyocytes in heart failure

The heart failure is characterized by an insufficient cardiac output, that is not able to fulfil metabolic demands of tissues, despite filling of the ventricles is sufficient. For effective and targeted treatment of the heart failure in clinical practice, it is essential to understand the underlying changes of cellular and subcellular processes in cardiomyocytes. The goal of this study will be to mathematically formulate changes in membrane transport processes and excitation-contraction coupling in failing cardiomyocytes (based on available experimental data) and, using quantitative simulations on the mathematical model, to explain consequences of these changes for cellular electromechanical activity.

Grant Support: Grant Agency of MU – Specific Research, external grant project submitted

Availability of Workload or Project Financing (beyond the scholarship from MU):

Scholarship from the Specific Research at MU, workload from a grant project if assigned. Workload from the institutional budget is at discretion of the head of the department after the student is involved in teaching.

Brief requirements for the student according to current requirements of the doctoral board:

• completion of compulsory courses
• completion of compulsory internship abroad (at least 1 month-stay) or participation in an international project with results published/presented abroad or other form of direct participation on an international cooperation
• at least one first author publication in a journal with IF above the median IF in the field (or two first author publication in a journal with IF in Q3)
• participation in teaching of undergraduate students
• good passive as well as active knowledge of English - basic knowledge of Czech beneficial