Jianhua Wu: Right-ventricular dysfunction in congenital heart disease

The right ventricle (RV) plays an important role in the development of CHDs, and heart failure due to RV dysfunction is a major cause of morbidity in CHD patients. Despite the high prevalence and high mortality, the mechanisms underlying long-term cardiac dysfunction, especially the RV pathophysiology, are still poorly understood.

Therefore, this study aims to investigate the structural, mechanical, and energetic properties of cardiac tissues from patients with CHD. To assess the RV changes in CHD, multi-scale experiments will be conducted, including work-loop calorimetry, mechanometry, confocal microscopy, and mass spectrometry. Complementing these experimental studies, a CHD patient-specific model of cross-bridge function will be developed and parameterised using experimental measurements.