Project description

Fetal circulation differs fundamentally from postnatal circulation because oxygenation occurs via the placenta rather than the lungs. To facilitate this process, temporary connections between vessels and cardiac chambers (the ductus venosus, foramen ovale, and ductus arteriosus) allow blood to be redistributed within the fetal circulation. As result of oxygenation taking place in the placenta, and highly oxygenated blood from the placenta mixes in the right atria with low saturated blood coming from the inferior and superior vena cavas, oxygen concentration is lower than in adults.

However, the blood redistribution depends on oxygen concentration and, despite substantial blood mixing, a stream of highly oxygenated blood from the placenta bypasses the right atrium and enters the left atrium without mixing. As a result, an oxygen concentration gradient appears between the left and right sides of the heart. This arrangement is advantageous because the left heart supplies blood to the heart and brain, organs with the highest oxygen demand.

In cases of congenital heart disease, however, this preferential redistribution is disrupted, leading to reduced oxygen delivery to the brain and potentially impaired neurological development. In this project, we use computational models to investigate the mechanisms underlying these alterations.

Line of research: Computational analysis and modelling of the fetal cardiovascular system.

Tasks to be performed

The objective of this study is to develop a three-dimensional geometric model of the fetal right atrium, inferior and superior vena cava, ductus venosus, and foramen ovale at 36 weeks of gestation. Computational fluid dynamics simulations (ANSYS Fluent) will be used to compute flow streamlines and to quantify the proportion of blood originating from the ductus venosus that traverses the foramen ovale.



A sensitivity analysis of key geometric features—such as the relative sizes and orientations of the vessels and the foramen ovale—will then be performed to identify the determinants of this preferential flow and the conditions under which it may be altered.

Boundary conditions will be derived from a lumped-parameter model of the complete fetal circulation.

The duration of these tasks is estimated over a period of 6 months.

Group and complement: Group 2 + Level u

Dedication and working hours: Part time (25h/week).

Planned reumeration approx: 23.393,42 € gross per year.

Financing fund: Este contrato es parte de la ayuda RYC2022-035960-I, financiado por MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 y por el FSE+ UE.PRESP01624 - AEI/PRTR/MCIN RYC2022-035960-I Gabriel Bernardino, “Learning physics & consistent representations for fetal echocardiographic understanding”.

Requirements

- Bachelor degree.

The expected start date is 1st April 2026, the job is in Barcelona.

Selection criteria: The selection of the candidates will be made through evaluation of the curriculum and, where appropriate, with the carrying out a test and/or interview. Valuation will be as follows:

1- Academic Training (0-30. points).

- [Required] Bachelor degree in Physics, Applied Mathematics or Biomedical Engineering.
- [Desired] Master degree in in Physics, Applied Mathematics or Biomedical Engineering.

2- Other professional training and experience, adequacy to the proposed profile (0-40 points):
- Knowledge on physiology and computational models of the fetal cardiovascular circulation.
- Knowledge on Computational Fluid Dynamics (Ansys Fluent).
- Knowledge on pathophysiology fetal congenital heart disease.
- Experience working with fetal ultrasound images.

3- Other merits (0-30. points):
- International experience.
- Publications related to the field of fetal cardiology and computational modelling.

The minimum score to pass the selection process is 80 points. The candidate with the highest score in the selection process will be offered the job.

📌 ENG-PSR--08 - Medium support technician: Computational modelling of the fetal oxygen distribution. (Barcelona)
🏢 Pompeu Fabra University
📍 Barcelona