Improving understanding and treatment of AF via ablation: The frequency domain, objective measurements of fractionation and entropy
The Department of Engineering and the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences are pleased to offer this fully-funded studentship for October 2013 entry to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme. The studentship will pay UK/EU tuition fees for three years and includes each year a stipend worth £13,726 and appropriate laboratory expenses.
Research Areas and Supervision
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a serious problem as it can lead to stroke and heart failure, with increased mortality. To further complicate the problem, the precise electrical mechanisms underlying AF are still, despite intensive research, not well understood (Fuster et al. 2006).
One effective treatment for AF is catheter ablation, whereby areas in the atria and/or nearby locations are targeted and ablated (or “burned”) (Jais, Haissaguerre, et al. 1997, Kumagai et al. 2009). However, results are variable, with a number of patients requiring repeated procedures if AF recurs in the short term. Long term results are even less encouraging.
One of the main issues with ablation is the decision on where to ablate for maximum efficacy and safety. Improving understanding of the precise electrical mechanisms underlying AF is key to minimising the amount of “burning” with ablation and maximizing the gain. It is important that information is available to aid ablation decision and strategy either before or during the ablation procedure. It is also important that techniques and technologies to characterize and map candidate locations for ablation are developed up to the stage when they can be implemented in real-time.
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