Richard Clayton -
Research
Richard
Clayton's
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Research overview
Ventricular
fibrillation (VF) is a catastrophic and life threatening
cardiac arrhythmia that accounts for at least 60,000 deaths in the UK
each
year. Although it has important social and economic consequences, it
remains difficult to either predict or prevent VF. Experimental studies
are difficult, and our understanding of the mechanisms that initiate
and sustain VF remains poor.
In common with several other groups, in Sheffield we are using
computational models of cardiac tissue to understand how VF can be
initiated and sustained. Some images of these models can be seen in the
gallery,
and they are described in detail in my publications.
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PhD students
Susheel Varma -- graduated 2010
Arno Steinacher -- graduated 2011
Mahshid Bozorgizadeh
Mitra Abbasi
Sathyavani Malyala
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Potential PhD projects
My main research interest
is in the multiscale modelling of the heart, and
the project areas suggested below are related to this. From
time-to-time
there are studentships available to cover fees and stipend, and when
available these are advertised on my main web page. To dicuss
potential projects in greater detail please contact
me.
- Mechanism of
arrhythmias in the heart.
The heart is an
electromechanical pump, where contraction is triggered and synchronised
by electrical activation. If the normal sequence of electrical
activation is disturbed, then abnormal cardiac rhythms or arrhythmias
can result. Electrical activity in the heart can be recorded
from
the body surface, or from catheter electrodes introduced into the
chambers of the heart. This project will involve co-supervision by
colleagues in the Medical School, and will focus on using existing
models of electrical activity in cardiac cells and tissue. These models
will be combined with imaging and other data to develop models of
specific patients. The overall focus will be to understand how
different types of heart disease influence the electrical behaviour of
the heart, and the likelihood of dangerous cardiac arrhythmias.
- Electromechanical
models of right heart function. The
left side of the human heart supplies the tissues and organs of the
body with oxygenated blood, whereas the right side pumps de-oxygenated
blood into the lungs where oxygen is taken up and carbon dioxide is
expelled. The vascular resistance of the lungs is much lower than that
of the systemic circulation, so the pressure developed in the right
ventricle during each beat is usually much lower than than the pressure
developed in the left ventricle. If the vascular resistance of the
lungs increases as a result of disease or a blood clot, then
the right
side of the heart has to generate a much greater pressure than normal,
which is termed pulmonary hypertension. The focus of this project is to
use a model-based approach to understand the role played by the right
ventricle in the normal human heart, and in patients with pulmonary
hypertension. The project will involve co-supervision by colleagues in
the Medical School, and will offere excellent training and experience
at the interface of engineering and clinical practice.
- Modelling
the bladder and lower urinary
tract. The
main
function of the bladder is storage and controlled release of urine, and
problems with this system can result in a wide range of distressing
symptoms. Despite its importance, there are several aspects of bladder
and lower urinary tract function that are not well understood, and this
can make it difficult for clinicians to make a correct diagnosis. The
aim of this project will be to develop models of the bladder and lower
urinary tract that are based on the physiological and anatomical
information that is available in the literature, and to use these
models to examine gaps in our understanding of how this system works.
One specific focus will be the way that the bladder wall changes as it
fills, and the way that the bladder senses fullness.
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This page last updated 29 September 2011