PhD projects

Primary supervisor: Professor Fu Siong Ng, National Lung and Heart Institute
Co-supervisor: Dr Carlos Cueto, Department of Earth Science and Engineering
Co-supervisor: Professor Mengxing Tang,  Department of Bioengineering
Deadline for applications: 28 September 2026 23:59 BST 

Note: Due to funder restrictions, this studentship is open to home fee status candidates only.

Project title: Acoustoelectric Imaging for Transmural Ventricular Activation Mapping and 4D Substrate Characterisation

Project abstract: Ventricular tachycardias (VT) are life-threatening arrhythmias responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Although catheter ablation offers the potential for cure, recurrence rates remain unacceptably high - partly because existing electroanatomical mapping technologies are confined to the endocardial or epicardial surface and cannot resolve mid-wall (intramural) electrical activity. Critical arrhythmogenic substrates deep within the myocardium are therefore routinely missed, undermining the precision of ablation therapy.

This project will develop and validate acoustoelectric imaging (AEI) as a transformative new modality for cardiac electrophysiology. AEI exploits the acoustoelectric effect, whereby a focused ultrasound pulse interacts with tissue resistivity to generate electrical signals that encode local current density. This enables volumetric mapping of cardiac electrical activity with high spatial and temporal resolution - extending far beyond the tissue surface and through the full ventricular wall.

Working across Imperial College London's National Heart and Lung Institute and Department of Bioengineering, the PhD student will:

1. build and optimise a cardiac AEI hardware and software platform
2. characterise system performance in tissue-mimicking phantoms
3. validate transmural 4D activation mapping against established techniques in isolated perfused hearts
4. assess the ability of AEI to detect ablation lesions and differentiate healthy from scarred myocardium

The project will conclude with a translational design roadmap for future in vivo studies. Success will deliver the first imaging modality capable of capturing full-thickness ventricular activation sequences in four dimensions, with direct implications for improving ablation outcomes and reducing VT recurrence.