Cardiovascular Deconditioning in Space Medicine: A Computational Approach to Investigate Mechanisms and Potential Countermeasures
PhD Project in Aerospace Engineering funded by China Scholarship Council
DIMEAS, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
Supervisors: Prof. Stefania Scarsoglio (
[email protected]) and Prof. Luca Ridolfi (
[email protected])
Research context and abstract
Long-duration spaceflight induces cardiovascular adaptations, including cephalad fluid shift, changes in blood volume and venous return, and altered hemodynamic regulation [1,2]. These responses contribute to cardiovascular deconditioning and may be associated with mission-relevant risks such as Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) [2,3]. The mechanisms linking altered gravity to systemic, cerebral, ocular, and venous hemodynamics remain incompletely understood.
This project will build on the group’s existing closed-loop,
multiscale 0D–1D cardiovascular model and its subsequent developments [4–8] to investigate cardiovascular adaptation to altered gravity and the mechanisms underlying deconditioning. The framework will be extended to represent gravity- and posture-dependent processes, including venous collapse, pressure effects associated with lower-body negative pressure (LBNP), and gravity gradients and Coriolis forces during short-radius artificial gravity (AG) [1,9,10]. Where suitable data are available, model behavior will be evaluated against non-invasive measurements from ground-based analogues, including head-up/head-down tilt, water immersion, and centrifuge studies [5–7]. The model will then be used to examine the potential physiological effects of countermeasures, particularly LBNP and AG. The aim is to improve mechanistic understanding and generate testable hypotheses to inform future experimental studies and the assessment of potential cardiovascular countermeasures for long-duration spaceflight.
Objectives and approach
📌 Only for Chinese candidates (Torino)
🏢 Politecnico Di Torino
📍 Torino