| Affiliations: | DeBakey Executive Research Leadership Program |
| Project Leader: | Abdelrahman Youssef abdelyoussef@tamu.edu Mechanical Engineering |
| Faculty Mentor: | Chandler C. Benjami, Ph.D. |
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Meeting Times:
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TBD |
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Team Size:
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8
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| Open Spots: | 0 |
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Special Opportunities:
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Learn and understand various experimental techniques that can be used to characterize solid and fluids beyond “metals”. These techniques can be used in characterizing polymers as well. Some standard protocols will be followed when doing the experiments. An opportunity to design new experiments may be presented during you time with the lab. A review of literature will be a part of this project. To know more, Please check our lab website (https://sml.engr.tamu.edu/)
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Team Needs:
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Students who can work independently and are willing to gain research experience are encouraged to apply. New experimental ideas will be encouraged. Previous research experience is not required. Attendance will be required for the weekly meetings (schedule will be decided later) |
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Description:
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Shear stress acts on the arterial wall due to the flow of blood. Alterations in the wall shear stress was shown to be linked with atherosclerosis and aneurysms. In particular, regions of the aorta and cerebral arteries under low wall shear stress often develop atherosclerosis. In case of aortic and cerebral aneurysms, low wall shear stress was shown to increase the risk of rupture. Endothelial cells that line the inner layer of the arterial wall respond to an increase in wall shear stress by releasing NOX which causes changes in the arterial diameter. However, very little is known about the behavior of aortic wall under shear. Preliminary experiments from our lab show that the aortic behavior under shear is different from what is commonly assumed. We will study the mechanical behavior of aorta under shear. Elasticity and inelasticity of the aortic wall will be accounted for. |