Research Projects
Modeling Red Cell Effects
on Blood Flow in Microvascular Networks
It is known that conditions such as sepsis, as well as aging,
can decrease the deformability of red blood cells. This increased
stiffness in turn leads to changes in the rheological properties of blood
and results in altered blood flow patterns in the microcirculation.
It is the objective of this work to quantify the effect of RBC deformability
on blood distribution in microvascular networks using mathematical modeling
in conjunction with available experimental data.
Oxygen and Nitric Oxide Transport
during Sepsis
Sepsis disturbs the microvasculature
and results in increased heterogeneity of local oxygen delivery as well
as increased nitric oxide production. Long-term or severe sepsis
also causes decreased tissue oxygen utilization, which is thought to be
due to mitochondrial damaged caused by either hypoxia or abnormally high
nitric oxide concentrations. The objective of this work is to perform
experiment-based computational studies of oxygen and nitric oxide transport
in the microcirculation to determine whether either of the proposed mechanisms
is responsible for the tissue damage seen in sepsis.
Time-Dependent Oxygen Transport
during Exercise and Ischemia
This work is aimed at studying both normal and pathological
aspects of oxygen transport in the microcirculation. In particular,
we are using mathematical modeling and large-scale computation to study
oxygen transport at the onset of exercise and during transient ischemia
using realistic geometry, hemodynamics, and biophysics.
Students interested in working on one of the above
projects should email me: dgoldman@oak.njit.edu