Modelling and Understanding Diastolic Dysfunction

Heart failure is a cardiac disease that currently affects 2% of the population. Half or more of the HF patients exhibit preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which is linked to diastolic dysfunction. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease, diastolic dysfunction is poorly understood. Our efforts focus on using our validated model of the cardiovascular system to simulate the disease stages and understand the pathological mechanisms behind the development and progression of the disease. Such as model will further allow us to i) understand the coexistence and interaction between diastolic dysfunction and other hemodynamic conditions, such cardiac remodeling, arterial stiffening, etc., ii) develop tools for diagnosis, iii) examine potential pathways for treating the disease.