How does atrial fibrillation alter the blood flow in the heart?

Arial fibrillation (AF) is a very common diseases of the heart. It is characterized by an irregular contraction of the atria of the heart. This changed motion can lead to blood coagulation, which can cause stroke. In my project, I want to understand how the motion of the left atrium influences the blood flow and how the blood flow is changed in patients with atrial fibrillation.

I focus especially on a structure in the left atrium called left atrial appendage (LAA). The shape and motion of left atrial appendage differs a lot between people and it’s in this region of the heart where most thrombi form.

To look at the heart of patients, I use time-resolved computed tomography (CT) images. These images have a high resolution, but they do not provide direct velocity information. Using the computing power from the National Supercomputer Centre in Sweden (NSC), I calculate the velocity of blood inside the heart based on the high-resolution CT images.

Photo of a heart..

About me

CV

  • PhD student in Medical Sciences, Linköping University. Since November 2019.
  • Research Engineer, CMR group, Linköpings University. August 2018 - October 2019.
  • M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Germany. October 2016 - June 2018.
  • B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Germany. October 2012 - September 2016.

Fields of Teaching

  • Course assistant for Physiological Pressures and Flows (TBMT09)

Networks

  • CMR group
  • CMIV research school
  • Liu CircM

Publications

2023

2021

Research

Coworkers

Organisation