CDTnet PhD Fellowship F14: Predicting Outcomes After Interventions in Mitral and Tricuspid Valve Dysfunction Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer in Spain

CDTnet PhD Fellowship F14 is a funded doctoral opportunity based at IDIBAPS (Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer) in Barcelona, Spain. The project focuses on predicting outcomes after interventions in mitral and tricuspid valve dysfunction, combining biomedical engineering, computational modelling, advanced cardiovascular imaging, artificial intelligence, and digital twin technologies.

The research addresses an important clinical need: as minimally invasive therapies for mitral and tricuspid valve disease expand, clinicians need better tools to assess valve dysfunction, select the most appropriate intervention, and estimate the likely outcome for each patient. The doctoral candidate will work on non-invasive assessment of valve regurgitation and develop digital tools to support intervention planning and outcome prediction.

The project will use echocardiography, cardiac CT, and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to create detailed patient-specific models before and after surgical and percutaneous valve procedures. These models will build on CDTnet technologies such as automated echocardiographic image analysis, digital twin modelling, and computational simulation of valve interventions. The doctoral researcher will lead a clinical study involving retrospective and prospective patient cohorts treated at IDIBAPS, integrating imaging-derived biomarkers with simulation approaches to improve patient selection and support treatment decisions.

Planned secondments provide additional training opportunities: FEops in Belgium for patient-specific simulation technologies, GE Healthcare in Norway for advanced imaging analysis, and King’s College London in the United Kingdom for statistical shape modelling and computational analysis of valve anatomy and geometry.

This is a full-time PhD position funded through Horizon Europe / MSCA (grant agreement 101312147). Applicants should hold a master’s degree or equivalent. Desirable profile elements include a medical degree, cardiology or cardiovascular medicine orientation, experience with heart valve disease, strong computing skills, and excellent English. MSCA mobility and eligibility rules apply: applicants must not have lived or worked in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years before recruitment, must not already hold a doctoral degree, and must be eligible to enrol in the PhD programme at Universitat de Barcelona.

The application deadline is 30 September 2026. Interested candidates should apply online through the CDTnet application portal and consult the CDTnet website for additional job details and application guidance.