PhD in Cardiac And Vascular Surgery

The PhD project is situated in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at KU Leuven and is part of an interdisciplinary project in collaboration with Pediatric Cardiology, Cardiac and Vascular Surgery and Molecular and Vascular Biology./nResearch bridges clinical treatment of Fontan patients and translational research using well-equipped laboratory spaces and advanced facilities for in vivo and ex vivo experimental work./nThe project focuses on lymphatic (and vascular) complications in patients with failing Fontan circulation and uses both animal models and patient data, including a large scale sheep model, to study changes in blood and lymphatic vessels leading to Fontan failure./nYou will apply and analyze advanced imaging techniques (MRI, echocardiography) and histological evaluations to assess hemodynamic and lymphatic changes and closely collaborate with a multidisciplinary team in cardiac surgery, pediatric cardiology, vascular biology, and lymphatic research./nFunding is secured for 4 years.