Mathematics PhD Studentship
Mathematical modelling of cardiac rhythms in health and disease
University of Exeter
About the award
Location: Streatham Campus, University of Exeter, EX4 4QJ
Primary supervisor: Professor John Terry, University of Exeter
Secondary supervisor: Dr Ozgur Akman, University of Exeter
This project presents an opportunity for an outstanding candidate to pursue a PhD at the interface between mathematical modelling and medicine. The successful candidate will join a rapidly expanding research group where they will work on a project that will develop biophysically plausible, mathematically tractable, models of the complex electrical waveforms of the heart (measured for example using ECG).
This approach is inspired by our successful methods for studying the electrical activity of the brain and will involve a combination of nonlinear dynamics, bifurcation theory, complex networks and signal processing. These methods will be used to explore the mechanistic origins of ECG waveforms and to understand how these become disrupted as a result of cardiac disease, such as atrial fibrillation (AF). The ultimate aim is to use mathematical models to probe for biomarkers of treatment response and to seek novel targets for radiofrequency ablation as a surgical intervention for patients with AF.
The project will involve direct collaboration with internationally leading physiologists in the University of Oxford’s Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, and Cardiology surgeons at the Bristol Heart Institute. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to spend time visiting both centres and will receive a stipend of £13,590 per annum.
For informal enquiries contact Professor John Terry at J.Terry@exeter.ac.uk.
Application criteria
Applicants should have or expect to achieve a good (2:1 or higher) first degree in mathematics (or a closely aligned discipline) and should be willing to engage in multidisciplinary research.
