Abstract: Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA), an enlargement of the aorta near its exit from the heart, is largely harmless unless a vessel wall failure event occurs. Such an event, however, is life-threatening and would best be prevented by surgical intervention before the tissue fails. Surgical intervention, while effective, is also costly and dangerous, so the challenge to the biomedical engineer is to develop tools to help identify and quantify the risk to a specific patient based on available information. In collaboration with Jessica Wagenseil at Washington University, we are employing a combination of mouse models, computer models, and ex vivo experiments to understand how ATAAs grow and rupture, with the eventual goal of patient-specific predictive models. We are still a ways away, but the journey so far has been interesting and informative.

Biography: Victor Barocas is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and the interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Over the past two decades, he has studied the biomechanics of deformation, failure, and remodeling of native and engineered tissues for a wide range of organs and systems, including ocular, cardiovascular, dental, musculoskeletal, and dermal tissues. His current work focuses primarily on the cardiovascular system and on the biomechanics of aneurysm disease. He served as the co-editor-in-chief of the ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering from 2012-2021, and he served many years as the Director of Graduate Studies for Biomedical Engineering at Minnesota. He received the 2023 ASME Robert M. Nerem Medal for Education and Mentorship.

~ BME Host: Deva Chan ~

ZOOM LINK: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95124789878?pwd=S0x0VW5Vd3VaMVc1LytlL0NJU1FYUT09

*Students registered for the seminar are expected to attend in-person.