Computational Modeling of Heart Rhythm Disorders
Jan Christoph, Professor
UC San Francisco
Applications for Spring 2024 are closed for this project.
It is an exciting time in cardiovascular research: the combination of 3D imaging, deep learning, numerical modeling and high-performance computing opens doors to novel diagnostic capabilities. Our group develops computational and experimental methods for the imaging of the heart. We produce imaging data using fluorescence and 4D ultrasound imaging, and combine this data with computer simulations and/or deep learning to obtain high-resolution visualizations of heart rhythm disorders. In one of our recent studies, we have shown how deep learning could in principle be used to compute electrophysiological phenomena from the motion of the heart: https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.07822
Role: The goal of this project is to develop computational methods for the modeling of heart rhythm disorders such as atrial or ventricular fibrillation. The student can build on and extend existing algorithms and software and will carry out method development for simulating wave phenomena in cardiac muscle tissue to study the coupling between cardiac electrophysiology and tissue mechanics: the heart's contractions are triggered by nonlinear waves of electrical excitation, or action potential waves, which elicit intracellular calcium release in cardiac muscle cells. The calcium is involved in the generation of active contractile stress and links cardiac electrophysiology with mechanics. In this project, the student will study ways how this coupling can degenerate and lead to rhythm disturbances, from the cellular to the tissue scale.
Qualifications: Applicants should have a background and interest in mathematical biology, biophysics / biological physics, or computational modeling, and eventually deep learning. Experience with at least one programming language (e.g. Python, Matlab, C/C++, etc.) is required.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Jan Christoph, Staff Researcher
Hours: 12 or more hours
Off-Campus Research Site: About 20% on-campus and 80% off-campus work with some days required in the lab for meetings or discussions. The computational work can be conducted either remotely or in the lab whatever is preferred. On-campus work will be at the Cardiovascular Research Institute on UCSF’s Mission Bay Campus. Lab meetings and 1-on-1 meetings will be held on Zoom and Discord.
Related website: http://cardiacvision.ucsf.edu
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