I am currently investigating the behaviour of the cardiovascular system in people with hypertension. This condition (long-standing high blood pressure) is a common one and is implicated in as many as four out of ten deaths in the UK. In more than 95% of cases no underlying cause is identified. My work involves taking readings from patients at the local NHS hospital (The Royal Lancaster Infirmary) and using the data to characterise the oscillatory behaviour of the cardiovascular system in this disease. So far I have identified a feature in the very low frequency component (~0.007Hz) of blood flow. Activity at this frequency is associated with the function of the endothelial cells that line our blood vessels. Endothelial dysfunction is a recognised feature of hypertension. My results suggest that this dysfunction is related to the endothelial cells’ reaction to pulsatile shear stress and that this is an early feature of the condition.

I’ve returned to academic life after a career in industry and I am really enjoying the experience. Biomedical physics is a cross-disciplinary subject. I get to work within a friendly and supportive team at the University and at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary where I’m part of the research team. The atmosphere within the group is really inspiring. This is an incredibly exciting time to be working in biomedical physics.