Understanding the causes of short QT syndrome

Identifying atrial arrhythmia substrate(s) in the short QT syndrome (Mr Dominic Whittaker)

BHF has awarded a 3-year PhD studentship totalling around £100,000 to take place in the Biological Physics Group at the School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester under the supervision of Professor Henggui Zhang and Professor Jules Hancox. The appointed student will research a rare but dangerous inherited condition called short QT syndrome (SQTS). This syndrome causes an abnormal heart rhythm and produces an unusual pattern of electrical activity on an ECG. Past research has suggested that SQTS may develop due to inherited genetic errors (called mutations) in proteins which are necessary for a regular coordinated heart beat. However, the exact mechanisms behind this syndrome are not well defined. The PhD student will use sophisticated computer modelling techniques to measure the electrical activity of heart chambers under normal conditions and under simulated conditions of the genetic mutations. The results will be vital for understanding the characteristics and causes of abnormal heart rhythms and how they may be treated.