Course Hemodynamics and assessment

The course C335/01 Hemodynamics and assessment is being offered by the Graduate School of Health, Aarhus University, spring 2025.

Criteria for participation:  University degree in medicine, dentistry, nursing, or Master’s degree in other fields and/or postgraduate research fellows (PhD students and research-year medical students).

Requirements for participation: Special interest in hemodynamics and methodology of its assessment

Aim: The overall aim is to give the participants understanding of cardiovascular physiology and methods of assessment. The course will provide the participants with the knowledge to choose the optimal methods for their individual research projects based on the methods’ strengths and weaknesses.

Learning outcomes: Having completed the course, it is expected that the student has achieved the following:

• Enhanced understanding of biophysics and cardiac and vascular function, also from a mathematical aspect
• Understanding of ultrasound and how it can be used to assess cardiac function and large vessels including volume status
• Knowledge on invasive strategies (right heart catheterization and pressure-volume loop recordings) for cardiac and hemodynamic evaluation
• Knowledge on non-invasive strategies (especially MR) for cardiac and hemodynamic evaluation
• Knowledge on hemodynamic changes from mechanical ventilation
• For all methods mentioned, the ability to discuss pros and cons for each method; its potential use in humans and animal models; and interpretation of the data provided by each method
• Possibility to discuss both others’ research projects and participants’ own research projects’ methodology

Workload: The full workload of the course is expected to be 16 hours of course activity over two days. The participants will receive mandatory preparation to do prior to the course. These preparations will be used in group work.

Content: The course will in include mandatory pre-course preparation, classroom teaching on hemodynamics and methodology, and group work.

The course lectures will cover 1) biophysics including relevant formulas and physiological laws/principles; 2) cardiac and vascular function at a cellular level; 3) pressure-volume loop recordings including acquisition, analysis and interpretation; 4) echocardiography including its use in humans and animals; 5) right heart catheterization including mixed venous gasses, cardiac output assessment and interpretation of pressure measurements; 6) cardiac MRI including flow measurements; 7) use of ultrasound on major vessels including volume status assessment; 8) differences between right and left side of the heart and the cardio-respiratory interaction in spontaneous vs. mechanical ventilation, and; 9) discussion on AI and computer models in hemodynamics. Strengths and limitations for all methods will be discussed.

Mandatory preparation includes reading of few hemodynamic related papers with conceptualization of different important variables.

Group work will be used to discuss key hemodynamic variables, discuss methods of hemodynamic assessment in different diseases, and, importantly, provide the course participants with the opportunity to work on their own projects, including drafting a section for the thesis about their own methodology.

Note that some of the lectures will be in English.

Networking dinner
Danish Cardiovascular Academy invites you to a free optional networking dinner on May 5. Are you interested in joining this dinner please confirm when you apply for the course. 

Instructors: Mads Dam Lyhne (AU/AUH), Peter Johansen (AU), Stephan Lange (AU), Jacob Gammelgaard Schultz (AUH), Peter Juhl-Olsen (AU/AUH), Mads Jønsson Andersen (AUH), Asger Granfeldt (AU/AUH), Steffen Ringgaard (AU/AUH), Simon Vistisen (AUH/AU).

Venue: Hotel Guest Apart, Tueager 5A, 8200 Aarhus N

Participation in the course is without cost for:

• PhD students, Health Research Year students from Aarhus University
• PhD students enrolled at partner universities of the Nordoc collaboration
• PhD students from other institutions in the open market agreement for PhD courses

Course dates:

• 05 May 2025 08:00 - 16:00
• 06 May 2025 08:00 - 16:00