The cardiovascular system comprises heart, blood, and blood vessels, subserving the following functional subsystems. The pulmonary circulatory system pumps oxygen-depleted blood from the heart via the pulmonary artery to the lungs, returning oxygenated blood back to the heart. The systemic circulatory system delivers ogygenated blood to the entire body, returning oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart. The coronary circulatory system is the part of the systemic circulatory system serving the heart muscle.
According to the World Health Organization cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death, and this is likely to remain so during the next decades. Imaging is the main instrument for diagnostics and screening. In the cardio theme we focus on cardiac image analysis.
Our challenge is to uncover function and anatomy of the cardiovascular system based on data evidence. We focus on non-invasive and minimally invasive imaging modalities, notably magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound. We pursue a cross-divisional approach, combining fundamental theory and practical applications, in collaboration with academic, clinical and industrial partners.