MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF BIOFLUID TRANSPORT PROCESSES RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROGRAM

Seventy percent of the human body is made up of fluids. Fluid dynamics, or transport of mass and fluid motion, plays a central role in human health. Fluid engineers are developing mathematical models and computational algorithms that can be employed by properly trained physicians to understand and treat a vast array of clinical disorders. This is an ideal setting for trainees from many disciplines to train in computational biofluid dynamics and transport. Researchers at The University of Iowa’s internationally known Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research (IIHR), who have leading roles in the development and use of mathematical models and algorithms are collaborating with physicians in Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine to provide GPTB training. Opportunities for training in biofluid transport modeling are in Internal Medicine (Cardiology, Pulmonary, and Gastroenterology Divisions), Radiology, and Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery. The training involves collaboration between clinical and basic scientists, and engineers with expertise in computational fluid dynamic algorithms. Multiscale biotransport modeling tools will be used to understand the physiology and pathophysiology of the human body. Typical examples of such ongoing collaborative efforts include: 1) understanding the relationship between fluid-induced stresses and atherosclerotic plaque development in coronary and carotid arteries; 2) the nature of fluid (air) dynamic alterations in the lung airways with the onset of respiratory diseases; 3) model simulations to assess the efficacy of drug delivery in the lung airways; 4) flow alterations in the human gastrointestinal tract with the onset of diseases in the digestive tract; 5) the relationship between fluid dynamics and thrombus initiation with mechanical valve thrombus deposition; and 6) structural disintegration of the bioprosthetic valve leaflets and leaflet tear. Clinical studies are used to test and validate the computer models. Recent developments in high-resolution image acquisition have been used to obtain morphologically realistic three-dimensional geometry of the organs and vascular segments, providing geometrical information for the fluid dynamic model development.

• Mathematical and Computational Modeling of Biofluid Transport Research and Training Program Mentors