Cardiovascular Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL)

The Cardiovascular Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) employs a multidisciplinary approach to addressing critical problems in cardiovascular health by combining fluid mechanics, computational modeling, medical imaging, benchtop hemodynamic experimentation and device prototyping.

With a focus on translational impact, CERL leverages the strengths of both engineering rigor and clinical insight to develop innovative strategies for surgical planning, circulatory support and vascular optimization. The lab employs a closed-loop research paradigm, where computational predictions are directly validated through in vitro flow-loop testing and findings from in vitro experiments inform the subsequent model optimization process. This synergistic workflow enables rigorous and iterative exploration of anatomical, pathological and hemodynamic complexity across a broad range of cardiovascular conditions. Students and faculty collaborate in applying reduced-order models, high-fidelity simulations and optical diagnostics to engineer, assess and optimize intervention strategies under physiologically relevant conditions.

As part of its educational mission, CERL offers hands-on research experience for undergraduate and graduate students, primarily through the ME 442/542: Biofluid Mechanics course. Students gain exposure to lumped parameter modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), particle image velocimetry (PIV) and flow-loop testing, and can contribute directly to extramurally funded investigations. The lab's emphasis on interdisciplinary training equips students with foundational and advanced skills to pursue careers in biomedical engineering, clinical innovation and applied fluid mechanics.

Research Projects

• Investigation of an Injection-Jet Self-Powered Fontan Circulation: A Novel Bridge and Destination Therapy for the Failing Fontan (Funded by: Children’s Heart Foundation, Additional Ventures and American Heart Association)
• Multiscale Hemodynamics Investigation of a Surgical Maneuver to Reduce Stroke Risk in Left Ventricular Assist Devices (Funded by: American Heart Association)
• Hemodynamics of Novel Hybrid Approach to Comprehensive Stage II Operation for Single Ventricle (Funded by: American Heart Association)
• In-Silico and In-Vitro Test and Validation of a Magnetically Driven Ventricular Assist Device (Funded by: Cardiovox. Inc)
• Multiscale Fluid-Structure Interaction Localized RBF Collocation Meshless Solver (Funded Internally)
• Order Reduction Framework via POD-Trained ML RBF Network (Funded Internally)

Equipment

Hardware

• High-speed imaging system
• Digital Otoscope system
• Cup-, cone- and cylinder-based computer-integrated Viscometry apparatus
• Class 4 Laser Systems
• National Instruments Data Acquisition boards with ultra-high sampling frequency
• High-resolution pressure transducers
• High-resolution electromagnetic and electro-mechanical flow transducers
• Programmable systemic and venous circulation segments with physiological response control
• Pre-built compliance chambers
• Precision peristaltic pump and flow control units
• Oscilloscopes and multichannel signal conditioners
• Custom-built sensor arrays and microcontroller boards

Software

• COMSOL Multiphysics Software
• Siemens Star-CCM+ 
• ANSYS Fluent
• 3D Slicer Medical Image Segmentation software
• Simpleware Medical Image Segmentation software
• Dassault Systems SolidWorks and CATIA
• MATLAB
• Mathcad
• TecPlot 360 visualization suite
• Intel Parallel and Cluster Studio
• In-house developed Cardiovascular Lumped-Parameter Model code
• In-house developed Meshless Fluid-Structure Interaction code
• In-house developed Order Reduction POD-trained ML-RBF Network
• In-house developed Data Acquisition and Processing code
• In-house developed Image Processing code