Network-based models of transport in the lungs and placenta

The lungs and placenta are complex branching organs, containing tens to hundreds of thousands of airways and blood vessels. Understanding this complexity requires reduced-order approaches that capture the salient physiology and can incorporate data.

In the first VPH Young Scientists Committee-driven webinar of 2026, Carl Whitfield from University of Manchester will discuss applications of such modelling approaches to these organ-systems, with a focus on image based models to study organ function (i.e. ventilation and/or perfusion) and transport/deposition of material (i.e. nutrients in the placenta and/or inhaled particles in the lungs). The talk will also focus on some of the future potential of these modelling approaches for personalised and in silico medicine.

The webinar is moderated by the VPH Young Scientist Committee member, Robin Curnow (University of Manchester).

Bio:

• Carl Whitfield is a Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Fellow in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Manchester, where he leads the Lung Modelling Group within the Applied Mathematics group. His work uses multi-scale, patient-specific mathematical and computational models to study flow, transport, and biomechanical processes in the lungs, aiming to improve early disease detection, optimise treatment delivery, and deepen understanding of disease mechanisms.

• Robin Curnow started his PhD in September 2023 as part of the Medical Research Council Doctoral Training Programme at the University of Manchester. His research focuses on using computational modelling to understand the effects of sampling methodologies and external contaminants on the identification of breath biomarkers from exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs).