MSc by Research in Cardiovascular - Ageing and The Cardiopulmonary System

University of Leeds

Age is a major risk factor for the majority of cardiovascular complications. In part this is because many cardiovascular diseases are progressive. However, even healthy ageing is associated with a reduction in blood vessel and cardiac function, with a sharp decline in maximal cardiac output and aerobic capacity as people advance into their 70s and beyond. Our ultimate goal is to reduce the incidence and severity of cardiovascular disease and to improve quality of life in older adults. We adopt an integrative approach to our research that spans from measurements of electrical activity in single cardiac cells through to in vivo measurements of cardiovascular function. We aim to identify the key parameters that change with healthy ageing or associated progressive cardiovascular disease and develop strategies which ameliorate functional deficits promoting healthy successful ageing. We use animal models and human participants for our research in this area, complemented by multi-scale in silico modelling.