Faculty Advisor: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Bordeaux

Research Practicum Introduction

The beating heart is a complex and fascinating organ beating more than 2 million times over the average human lifespan. Why does the heart beat? How is each beat controlled? What can be done to cure a diseased heart and what can be improved?

This program introduces students to basic principles of cardiology and cardiac research and provides students with the opportunity to develop innovative ideas to push the boundaries of current healthcare. 

Weekly meetings will consist of short lessons to gain basic knowledge and discussions around research. This program will be a great introduction to biomedical research for students interested in medicine, fundamental research, and biomedical applications.

At the end of this practicum, students will have a good knowledge base in cardiac physiology and will be able to develop future ideas to improve patient care and outcome. 

Students will also learn general and subject-specific research and academic writing methods used in universities and scholarly publications. Students will focus on individual topics and generate their own work products upon completion of the program.

Project Topics

• What are the most common cardiac disorders and what are the current treatment trends?

• What are the greatest challenges in restoring rhythm to diseased hearts?

• What is ablation and how is it performed?

• What is the difference between fibrillation and tachycardia and what are their origins?

• What are the challenges associated with keyhole cardiac surgery?

• What improvements can be made to current catheters to improve surgery precision?

• Why is the right ventricular outflow tract a source of electrophysiological disturbance?

Program Detail

• Cohort Size: 3-5 students

• Workload: Around 4-5 hours per week (including class time and homework time)

• Target Students: 9-12th grade students interested in medicine, biology, or biotechnology. Students must demonstrate a good understanding of basic concepts in cardiac physiology and understand basic principles of cellular electrophysiology.