Medicine

The microgravity environment causes significant changes to cardiovascular haemodynamics. During gravity transitions, a redistribution of body fluids occurs which can result in significant effects. In low gravity environments, fluid will redistribute to the top half of the body, whereas in high gravity, fluid will be pulled down to the lower limbs. In this project a lumped parameter computer model will be used to further explore these effects on the different planetary bodies in our Solar System.

Over the last 60 years, space medicine has primarily focused on effects of microgravity exposure on healthy, professional astronauts. With the advent of low cost, reusable rocketry, space travel will become available to the general public as early as later this year, allowing travellers with underlying medical conditions to be exposed to the space environment.

The microgravity environment causes significant changes to cardiovascular haemodynamics. Due to the absence of gravity, a redistribution of body fluids occurs and can result in significant short-term effects as well as long-term adaptations. On return to the Earth, astronauts with prolonged microgravity exposure, have significant orthostatic intolerance due to the adaptations that occur. In this project, a lumped parameter computer model of the cardiovascular system will be used to explore the effect of microgravity on the cardiovascular system.

The microgravity environment causes significant changes to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular haemodynamics. Due to the absence of gravity, a redistribution of body fluids occurs and can result in significant disease including intracranial hypertension and jugular venous thrombosis. In this project, a lumped parameter computer model of the cardiovascular system will be used to explore the effect of microgravity on the cerebrovascular haemodynamics. Specifically, an established model of the cardiovascular system in microgravity will be extended to include the blood flow to the brain.