CRPH welcomes students with a biomedical engineering, or technical medicine background. We are eager to supervise a wide range of assignments within the scientific, clinical and translational scope of our staff members. In order to assure a perfect match with the individual expertise and interest of members of our group scientific topics should be chosen accordingly, so that all students can maximally benefit from the supervision of CRPH staff members.
For Technical Medicine students it is important that they are in the Medical Sensing & Stimulation track.
For Biomedical Engineering students it is important that they are in the Physiological Signals and Systems track.
Regarding the course list (https://www.utwente.nl/en/bme/education/vakkenlijsten-2022-2023.pdf) there are some courses from the elective options that are relevant for our group. Biological Control Systems (#7) is compulsory to do a project within CPRH. Depending on your interests, this can be supplemented by a choice of the following courses:
#14 Mathematical methods
#15 Nonlinear Dynamics
#17 System Identif. Parameter Estim. and ML
#18 Machine Learning I
#19 Biophysical Fluid Dynamics: The Respiratory System
If you are interested in a specific assignment or wonder whether we could act as a supervisor, we invite you to learn more about our team and publication list and eventually schedule an appointment with a CRPH team member via our office manager (c.j.holkenbrink@utwente.nl) to discuss all possibilities.
Master assignments
Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is a life-support therapy used in patients with severe cardiac and/or pulmonary failure. The goal of this project is to investigate the complex interaction between the human body and the VA-ECMO. The student will develop an in vitro patient setup by creating patient-specific aortic phantoms and connecting them to a high-fidelity hydraulic simulator capable of reproducing physiological pressure and flow conditions. This advanced in vitro system will be used to explore novel monitoring and control strategies aimed at improving VA-ECMO therapy. A previous example of the set up can be found here (link).
Extending a Multiscale Heart Model with Cellular Calcium Kinetics.
Project goal: The objective of this thesis is to design and implement a new computational module that extends our existing model. The student will develop a module to simulate calcium kinetics. This will involve using the model's calculated sarcomere length as an input to predict the corresponding intracellular calcium concentration. The aim is to investigate how changes in sarcomere stretch (a mechanical signal) modulate calcium levels and the related behaviour of contractile proteins like actin and titin. This extension is a critical step toward modelling the cellular-level feedback loops that drive long-term changes in the heart.
In-silico modelling of cardiopulmonary dynamics in patients undergoing assisted ventilation.
Heart–lung interaction refers to the mutual interconnection between the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system. Respiration induces variations in the blood pressure and flows, and this interaction becomes more relevant in ICU patients supported by assisted ventilation. The aim of this project is to explore heart-lung interaction through an in-silico model. The student will develop and implement an in-silico model of the assisted ventilation and of the pulmonary circulation, then integrate them into the in-vitro patient simulator already available in our laboratory. The resulting enhanced simulator will offer a high degree of physiological realism and fidelity. It will allow to reproduce clinically relevant scenarios and support the development of advanced monitoring algorithms for intensive care applications.
Current Students
Daan Imholz
Technical Medicine, Medical Sensing & Stimulation, University of Twente
Biomedical Engineering, Physiological Signals & Systems, University of Twente
Contact: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/daan-imholz-0479a11b9
Duration: December 2024 - May 2026
Assignment
Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) has the potential to enable advanced diagnostic and therapeutic interventions on donor lungs, expanding the donor pool and improving the outcome following transplantation. My research focuses on the optimization of EVLP ventilation-perfusion interactions using computational modeling to increase donor lung preservation and quality.
Collaborating partner
University Medical Centre Utrecht – Anesthesiology & Intensive Care Unit
Committee
Prof. Dr. D.W. Donker (Chair)
Drs. S.A. Braithwaite (Medical supervisor)
Dr. L.M. van Loon (Technical-medical supervisor)
Dr. Ir. F.H.C. de Jongh (Technical supervisor)
Drs. B.J.C.C. Sweep (Process supervisor)
Prof. Dr. Ing. J. Arens (External member)
Jitka Burger
Technical Medicine, Medical Sensing & Stimulation, University of Twente
Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jitka-burger-ba08a6185/
Duration: January 2025 – December 2025
Assignment
Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is a crucial setting in mechanical ventilation, helping to prevent atelectasis and improve lung mechanics. However, (excessively) high PEEP levels can reduce cardiac output by decreasing cardiac preload and increasing pulmonary vessel resistance. As a result, patients receiving mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery are typically managed with relatively low PEEP settings. While this approach minimizes hemodynamic compromise, it increases the risk of atelectasis. To date, the optimal PEEP setting in this patient population remains unclear. This study aims to investigate
the hemodynamic effects of different PEEP levels in patients following surgical correction of congenital heart disease (CHD), using Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) to assess lung perfusion.
Collaborating partner
Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen – Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Committee
Prof. Dr. D.W. Donker (Chair)
Dr. E. Mos-Oppersma (Technical supervisor)
Prof. Dr. M.C.J. Kneyber (Medical Supervisor)
A.A. Koopman, MSc (Technical-medical supervisor)
B.J.C.C. Sweep, MSc (Process supervisor)
Charlotte Hofma
Technical Medicine, Medical Sensing & Stimulation, University of Twente
Contact: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-hofma-196375236
Duration: November 2024 – October 2025
Assignment
Weaning from mechanical ventilation is a crucial step in the recovery of patients who have required respiratory support. A spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) is used to assess a patient’s readiness for weaning by evaluating their capacity to breathe independently. While the majority of patients successfully perform an SBT, some experience weaning failure, defined as the inability to breathe spontaneously while maintaining adequate gas exchange. This failure can result from a variety of factors, including airway disease, neurological impairment, cardiac dysfunction, and respiratory muscle weakness. My research focuses on the use of non-invasive measurements during an SBT to improve understanding of the underlying (patho)physiological mechanisms contributing to weaning failure.
Collaborating partner
Radboudumc – Intensive Care Unit
Committee
Prof. Dr. D.W. Donker (Chair)
Prof. Dr. L.M.A. Heunks (Medical supervisor).
Dr. E. Mos-Oppersma (Technical supervisor)
Dr. L.H. Roesthuis (Technical-medical supervisor)
E.M. Walter, MSc. (Process supervisor)
Arno Fennema
Technical Medicine, Medical Sensing and Stimulation
Duration: September 2024 to July 2025
Assignment
Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) is a life-saving technique used provide mechanical circulatory support in patients with severe cardiogenic shock. However, monitoring their recovery during VA ECMO remains difficult due to profound alterations in hemodynamics. This makes weaning from VA ECMO complex and challenging. In my thesis I aim to evaluate the potential of pulse pressure as a marker for cardiac recovery. I investigate its association with successful weaning through a data analysis and explore its physiological behavior using computational modeling.
Collaborating partner
University Medical Centre Utrecht – Intensive Care Unit
Committee
Prof. Dr. D.W. Donker (Chair & Medical supervisor)
Dr. L.M. van Loon (Technical & Technical-Medicine supervisor)
E. Walter MSc (Process supervisor)
For our former master student assignments look at this page.