PhD position - 4D flow MRI and CFD & Hemodynamics in the Left Atrium

PhD position at the Center for Biomedical and Healthcare Engineering,Mines Saint-Etienne – Laboratoire SAINBIOSE INSERM UMR 1059
Assessment of Thromboembolic Risk in the Left Atrium via 4D flow MRI and Computational Fluid Dynamics 
Keywords: 4D flow MRI, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Hemodynamics, Left Atrium
Academic context: The research group at Mines Saint-Etienne leads major international research projects in the domain of soft tissue and fluid biomechanics in the cardiovascular system through a longstanding collaboration with the University Hospital in Saint-Etienne. This project will be a collaboration between Mines Saint-Etienne and TU Vienna and will include a short research stay at TU Vienna. This project also includes collaboration with the University Hospital of Saint-Etienne and the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona.
Scientific context:  Interest in Left Atrium (LA) biomechanics has increased in recent years, as impaired atrial function is strongly linked to a higher risk of stroke. Atrial Fibrillation (AF) accounts for about one-third of all strokes, but roughly 20% remain of unknown origin, suggesting other LA-related mechanisms. Blood stagnation caused by altered LA wall mechanics (e.g., fibrosis) may promote thrombo-embolic events. Understanding the coupling between LA biomechanics, remodeling, and intra-atrial hemodynamics is therefore crucial for assessing atrial function and stroke risk. This project aims to develop stroke-risk biomarkers based on 4D flow MRI and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). While advanced imaging has improved LA characterization, modeling provides complementary predictive insights.
Project summary: This project will be based on a dataset of 4D flow MRI images of patients providing 3D blood velocity fields and LA wall motion. The approach will be divided into the following steps:-      Post-processing of the 4D flow MRI images for the cohort-      Adaptation and application of high-fidelity CFD simulations of intra-atrial hemodynamics-      Evaluation of the uncertainties of the 4D flow imaging approach: down-sampling of the CFD simulations and comparison to in vivo 4D flow MRI data-      Evaluation of the predicting potential of the derived metrics: contrasting the in silico derived metrics with the clinical outcomes (occurrence of thrombo-embolic events).Combining insights from biomechanics and cardiovascular fluid dynamics with clinical data, this project aims to substantially enhance our understanding of Left Atrium biomechanics, while setting the foundation for a clinically translational approach to predict thrombosis risk in patients.
Student profile: Background in fluid mechanics and/or biomechanics. Curiosity for biomedical applications.
Administrative aspects: This PhD position will be for 3 years, starting in the fall of 2026.
If you are interested, send a curriculum vitae and a short cover letter describing potential previous research experience and interests before Dec. 15th 2025. Please, submit via email with “LA 4D flow PhD” on the subject line to Fanette Chassagne, PhD (fanette.chassagne@emse.fr).