CSF-FLOW
From fluid dynamics to better therapies: advancing our understanding of CSF flow through modeling, imaging, and experimentation

Funding

Our work is funded by R&D&i  projects PID2020-115961RB-C31, PID2020-115961RB-C32 and  PID2020-115961RA-C33, financed by the Spanish MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/.

Our Mission

We aim to uncover the fundamental mechanisms governing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics in the human central nervous system. Combining the tools of fluid mechanics—mathematical modeling, computational simulations, laboratory experiments—with in-vivo MRI imaging we seek to:

intrathecal drug delivery

Explore novel intrathecal drug delivery strategies

glymphatic flow

Unravel the role of glymphatic flow in neurodegenerative conditions

syringomyelia and hydrocephalus

Deepen our understanding of diseases such as syringomyelia and hydrocephalus

OUR TEAM

We are a multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists from leading universities in Spain and the USA.

Our group combines expertise in fluid mechanics, biomedical engineering, numerical methods, and medical imaging to tackle real-world challenges related to CSF flow and neurological health.

Wilfried Coenen

Associate Professor
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Mariano Rubio Rubio

Associate Professor
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Carlos Martínez-Bazán

Full Professor
Universidad de Granada

Cándido Gutiérrez Montes

Full Professor
Universidad de Jaén

Antonio L. Sánchez

Full Professor
University of California San Diego

intrathecal drug delivery

This infrastructure allows us to validate models, test devices, and generate clinical-relevant data under controlled conditions.

Laboratory facilities

for physical modeling and flow visualization

Prototype development capabilities

including 3D printing and custom flow circuits

High-speed imaging systems

for precise flow measurements

In-house expertise

in image segmentation and quantitative CSF flow analysis

Access to clinical MRI facilities

for in-vivo CSF flow imaging

Computational infrastructure

for numerical simulations and data analysis

Publications

Oscillating viscous flow past a streamwise linear array of circular cylinders

Effect of Normal Breathing on the Movement of CSF in the Spinal Subarachnoid Space

A one-dimensional model for the pulsating flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the spinal canal