Small vessel disease (SVD) causes many cases of stroke and dementias.1 While what causes SVD is poorly understood, in patients with higher SVD severity their blood vessels are less responsiveness to increased demand.1 We can measure cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), how well blood vessels respond to increased demand, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans during hypercapnic gas challenge. However, existing methods to calculate CVR have several limitations.2 More accurate quantification would improve understanding of SVD pathophysiology and patient stratification.1
In this project, the successful student will:
- support acquisition of brain MRI scans and further their MRI physics knowledge
- develop novel CVR methods to analyse several large existing datasets with extensive contextual data
- learn about clinical brain imaging, how scans are interpreted and clinical presentations of SVD
- expand their statistical skills to run complex multifactorial analyses
- develop their scientific writing and presentation skills
Go here for more details and to apply
Closing Date: 16th August