PhD project: Onset and Pathological Consequences of Non-Laminar Flow in Blood
Project description
Blood flow in uniform, straight, cylindrical vessels, even allowing for temporal variations due to the regular contractions of the heart, is smooth and laminar. However, there is current debate about the onset of non-laminar flow (also known as turbulent or disturbed flow) which is linked to various health conditions including heart attack and stroke (responsible for 27% of deaths worldwide in 2019).
There are several difficulties to understanding the link between disturbed flow and human health.
- Firstly, blood is a complex fluid, its non-Newtonian behaviour arising due to the properties and interactions of suspended red blood cells.
- Secondly, blood flow rate varies: around the circulatory system; at different times throughout the day; with aging; and between individuals.
- Thirdly, the endothelial cells lining blood vessels have a complex response to flow.
- Finally, the onset of turbulence itself is notoriously difficult to pinpoint and can be triggered by localised disturbances.
One of the only exactly solvable problems in turbulence is the circulatory Taylor-Couette flow between two rotating concentric cylinders. For Newtonian fluids, at a specific shear rate the flow switches from laminar to non-laminar, displaying so-called Taylor vortices. This geometry is arguably the simplest arrangement for studying the onset of turbulence.
The project is co-supervised by staff in Physics, Engineering and Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. Initially the project will take a physics-approach, using the Taylor-Couette system to experimentally investigate the onset of non-laminar flow in blood. As the project develops, the medical involvement will increase, including monitoring the influence of flow on cell development. The project will run alongside computational studies to simulate blood flow at the cellular level.
The transition to turbulence in blood in a Taylor-Couette cylinder. As the shear rate increases from left to right (characterised by the Taylor number, Ta) vortices develop, as visualised by the thin horizontal lines of glitter.
Project supervisors
- Dr. David Fairhurst (School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Edinburgh)
- Professor Patrick Hadoke (School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Cardiovascular Science)
- Timm Kruger (School of Engineering)
- Professor Alexander Morozov (School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Edinburgh)
The project supervisors welcome informal enquiries about this project.
Find out more about this research area
The links below summarise our research in the area(s) relevant to this project:
- Find out more about Soft Matter Physics.
- Find out more about the Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems.
What next?
- Find out how to apply for our PhD degrees.
- Find out about fees and funding and studentship opportunities.
- View and complete the application form (on the main University website).
- Find out how to contact us for more information.