Multi-Scale Cardiovascular Bioengineering Laboratory

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH



Healthworks! flow loop

Project background: The MSCBL has partnered with HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum to educate children on the engineering, scientific and clinical aspects of the cardiovascular system in the context of an interactive activity on the human circulation. Over the past two years, undergraduate students in the MSCBL have designed and fabricated an interactive and simplified representation of the human circulation enabling flow visualization through the different components.

Project objectives: The next step in the project is to complement the exhibit with an educational module focused on the engineering description of the cardiovascular system and its disorders. The educational module will be displayed next to the flow loop and will consist of four sections describing: 1) the human circulation; 2) common cardiovascular diseases; 3) associated risk factors; and 4) prevention. Each section will consist of a brief narrative and illustrations, while sections 1 and 2 will also involve the manipulation of the flow loop and the fluid mechanical description of the observed effects.

Objective 1: to design an interactive computer-based presentation that will guide the participants through their exploration of the exhibit

Objective 2: to design computer-based ludic activities (puzzle games, cross-words) that will assess the children’s basic understanding of the fluid mechanics and physiology of the human circulation before and after interacting with the exhibit.

Qualifications:
Major in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering or Computer Science and Engineering. Previous research experience and commitment for two-semester appointment preferred. Previous experience with CAD design, website design, animation preferred.

Starting date: immediate

GRADUATE RESEARCH

Project background: Aortic valve calcification is the most common heart valve disorder and has significant societal impact. The design of non-invasive therapies requires the understanding of the disease process which remains limited.

Project objectives: Our laboratory has demonstrated that abnormal alterations of the valve hemodynamic environment could trigger pathological changes in valvular tissue. While our experiments have focused on the investigation of the effects of fluid shear stress alterations, other investigators have shown the sensitivity of valvular tissue to other types of mechanical stimuli such as stretch and pressure. The overall goal of this project is to characterize the contribution of combined hemodynamic stress alterations (pressure+shear+stretch) on calcific aortic valve disease.

Objective 1: to design an ex vivo system capable of subjecting aortic valve leaflets to a combination of stretch, pressure and fluid shear stress.

Objective 2: to investigate the effects of the native hemodynamic environments produced under abnormal states (e.g., hypertension, bicuspid valve morphology) on valvular biology.

Qualifications:
Major in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering. Previous research experience in biomedical engineering, cell biology, biological assays and techniques (western blot, RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry), CAD design, fluid mechanics preferred.

Starting date: Fall 2012