We are looking for a well-motivated PhD student with first-class honour’s degree in any of the following areas: Biomedical Sciences; Mathematics; Physics; Mechanical Engineering; Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering. The applicant must have the willingness to learn multi-disciplinary topics and possess a research mind-set. A flair for computational modelling and experiment work using optical methods and writing own software codes is a welcome bonus. The applicant must be eligible to enrol in the PhD program at Curtin University, and physically present in WA for the duration of the PhD research.

Project Overview

Cerebral aneurysms are a form of a cerebrovascular disease in which the wall of the artery bulges, and the progression of the aneurysm may cause rupture which commonly results in fatality or permanent neurological impairment. Fluid dynamics can be used to understand the blood flow and wall shear stress in aneurysms, which will aid in finding a suitable prediction tool for diagnosis and management of such conditions in patients.

Aims

To characterise the blood flow and wall shear of cerebral aneurysms to develop a prediction tool suitable for disease diagnosis and patient management.

Objectives
Computational Fluid Dynamics and Experiments will be used to study the flow characteristics within typical aneurysms and how treatments options such as coiling affect the flow to prevent the rupture of aneurysms.

Significance
Recent statistical data, for example shows that about 2% of the Australian population had experienced a stroke at some time, and this is a major cause for worry. Prediction of wall rupture, based on blood flow data and estimation of wall shear stress can indicate the level of complexity of the condition, at the diagnosis level. Our study is aimed at extracting these quantities that will enable (in combination with AI) the development of a prediction tool.

This project will be formulated and executed in the School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering. Curtin University has the academic expertise to execute the computational modelling using computational fluid dynamics and advanced optical diagnosis using PIV and
imaging systems. The engineering workshops can create state of the art models (phantoms) required for experiments. Access to staff at Curtin Medical School, and local hospitals in the metropolitan area of Perth facilitates a clinical view of research findings and collaboration. The topic is highly relevant in the broad area of cerebrovascular diseases, and any advancement for prediction and management will improve the quality of life of patients.

An internship may be available for this project. Contacts with top-class hospitals in the Perth metropolitan area enables the PhD student to interact with clinicians, and investigate the modelling and prediction of aneurysms, with a view to benefit patients, health practitioners, and care-givers.