University College London, UK
Prof. Dr. Silvia Schievano
Silvia Schievano is Professor of Biomedical Engineering at UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science, GOS Institute of Child Health, and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. She graduated in Biomedical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, and pursued her PhD degree in the Cardiorespiratory Unit of Great Ormond Street Hospital funded by the British Heart Foundation.
She was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering/EPSRC Research Fellowship, an ESPRC Healthcare Technologies Challenge Award and an ERC Starting Grant.
Since 2011, she has established and been leading the Centre for Clinical Cardiovascular Engineering at UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science, and, since 2013, together with two clinical colleagues, the Facevalue Craniofacial Research Unit at GOS Institute of Child Health.
Her main research interest focuses on translation of engineering technologies into clinical practice, in particular patient specific simulations of complex congenital disease cases, statistical shape modelling and population analyses, design and modelling of new medical devices and clinical treatments, and development of visualisation tools to enhance clinical planning and teaching, and training in congenital diseases.
Abstract
Computational modelling in congenital heart disease: challenges and opportunities
Children born with congenital heart disease, compared to adult patients with acquired cardiovascular diseases, typically present with a wide range of anatomies and conditions that are often unique and complex, and that change as the child grows. However, the development of devices and tools designed for children lags decades behind those for adults, due to the far smaller market, which makes it difficult for companies to invest in such devices because it is not sustainable for them to develop in-vitro/in-vivo tests for the range of variations and conditions encountered in the paediatric population, both in terms of time and cost.
Computational modelling and in-silico clinical trials, built on personalised computer simulations, could be a powerful resource to aid biomedical device development and design optimisation. Indeed, these methodologies are gaining interest from the FDA and European Regulatory Agencies, as they could shorten the bench-to-patient pathway. This technology represents the most promising and strategic approach to revolutionise device development and treatment in children and/or young adults with congenital heart disease, enabling personalised care and improving outcomes.
