MeDDiCa

MeDDiCa is an innovative, multi-disciplinary and multi-centre Marie Curie Initial Training Network (MC ITN) focused on Cardiovascular Engineering and Medical Devices. 

MeDDiCA Early Stage Researchers will build a career in cardiovascular engineering founded on both “skills for life” (communication skills, research and project management, IP, patenting, entrepreneurship, etc.) and “academic and technical skills”. The ultimate aim of MeDDiCA is to form well-rounded individuals, unlocking their potential in order to give them tools to succeed in an extremely changing area.

To achieve this, we will provide training complementary to the existing background of each researcher to produce researchers capable of approaching a wide range of cardiovascular engineering applications. MeDDiCA will raise the profile and improve the career prospects of researchers who are in the first five years of their careers by offering structured training in cardiovascular engineering as well as providing complementary skills (“skills for life”). The technical skills will be applied to the study of cardiovascular medical devices through individual research projects, employing research methods including multi-scale modelling, 3D numerical simulation, in vitro and ex vivo laboratory models and experimentation. A strong focus on clinical and industrial translation will provide a consistent training programme for MeDDiCA researchers. Valves and stents have been chosen as exemplar applications to focus the scientific effort of MeDDiCA.

The success of this MC ITN will rest on the engagement of both academic research groups and industry to develop a varied and complementary training programme encompassing different aspects of the cardiovascular engineering field. This ITN will have significant synergies with the EU-funded Virtual Physiological Human Network of Excellence.