Centres for Doctoral Training

Blood Rheology as a Mechanical Biomarker for Heart Failure

Supervisors:

Pieraolo Pellicorim School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health

Manlio Tassieri, James Watt School of Engineering

Pasquale Maffia, School of Infection & Immunity

 

PhD Project Summary:

Can blood mechanics reveal heart disease before symptoms appear?

This PhD explores a new paradigm: treating blood not just as a carrier of biomarkers, but as a mechanical biomarker itself. Using cutting-edge broadband rheology and microrheology, the project will investigate whether the mechanical properties of blood encode early signatures of cardiac dysfunction and/or heart failure.

By analysing already collected blood samples from patients with or at risk of heart failure, the student will apply advanced, model-free analytical methods (i-Rheo framework) to uncover disease-specific “mechanical fingerprints” linked to progression and treatment response, with a focus on diuretics.

The project sits at the intersection of engineering, physics and medicine, combining experimental measurement, data analysis and clinical insight to develop a new class of diagnostic tools.

The student will gain interdisciplinary training in soft matter physics, biomedical engineering and cardiovascular science, contributing to a transformative vision where blood mechanics become a clinical biomarker.