When someone suffers heart failure they are likely to require a mechanical pump to support one side of the heart, to keep the patient alive until such a time that a donor heart can become available. But the heart has two sides, the left ventricle and the right ventricle and sometimes when one side requires a heart pump the other side will develop complications – which can greatly increase the urgency for transplant.
As it is more common for patients to require a pump to assist the left ventricle of the heart, researcher Nicole is working to understand why the body then experiences complications in the right side of the heart.
To this end, Nicole has worked to develop a model of heart failure to replicate what is seen clinically in patients, this model is now being used to conduct initial research on the Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) to assess its effects on the right side of the heart.
Nicole is hoping to develop ways in which the life giving pump and the heart can work together in harmony – and save lives.
The patient’s experience will be at the centre of an innovative bed space design, or ‘Cocoon’, that infuses technology and personalised medicine with best practice architectural and engineering solutions.
National Volunteer Week is an opportunity for The Common Good to celebrate the vital work of our amazing volunteers.
The inaugural eight-hour Ride For Good, hosted by The Common Good will be raising money for vital medical research into heart disease, lung disease,mental health, and dementia.